Hyaluronic Acid Injection Combined With Rehabilitation for Frozen Shoulder (HA - AC)

May 12, 2026 updated by: Chih-Ya Chang, Tri-Service General Hospital

Clinical Outcomes of Ultrasound-Guided Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection Combined With Rehabilitation in Adhesive Capsulitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection combined with rehabilitation in patients with adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).

Participants were randomly assigned to either an injection plus rehabilitation group or a rehabilitation-only group. The injection group received ultrasound-guided intra-articular hyaluronic acid once weekly for three weeks, along with a standardized rehabilitation program for six weeks. The control group received the same rehabilitation program without injection.

Clinical outcomes were assessed at multiple time points, including baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) total score. Secondary outcomes included SPADI pain and disability subscales, as well as shoulder range of motion.

The trial was registered retrospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07570095) after study completion due to administrative oversight.

The study was conducted in accordance with the protocol approved by the Tri-Service General Hospital Institutional Review Board (approval no. C202205160) prior to enrollment. The IRB-approved protocol specified the eligibility criteria and outcome measures reported in this record; discrepancies in the initial registry entry have been corrected in this amendment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Adhesive capsulitis is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by progressive pain and restricted range of motion of the shoulder joint, leading to significant functional impairment. Although rehabilitation remains the cornerstone of treatment, the additional benefit of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection remains controversial.

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid combined with a structured rehabilitation program in patients with adhesive capsulitis.

Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an injection plus rehabilitation group and a rehabilitation-only group. The injection group received ultrasound-guided intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Both groups underwent a standardized rehabilitation program twice weekly for six weeks, including range of motion exercises, stretching, and strengthening under the supervision of a physical therapist.

Clinical outcomes were assessed at multiple time points, including baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) total score over time. Secondary outcomes included SPADI pain and disability subscales, as well as shoulder external rotation range of motion.

The trial was registered retrospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07570095) after study completion due to administrative oversight.

The study was conducted in accordance with the protocol approved by the Tri-Service General Hospital Institutional Review Board (approval no. C202205160) prior to enrollment. The IRB-approved protocol specified the eligibility criteria and outcome measures reported in this record; discrepancies in the initial registry entry have been corrected in this amendment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
    • Taipei
      • Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan, 114
        • Tri-Service General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 40 to 70 years.
  • Clinical diagnosis of frozen-phase primary adhesive capsulitis characterized by predominant stiffness as the chief complaint, with symptom duration of at least 3 months, minimal resting pain, and absence of nocturnal pain.
  • Limitation of both active and passive shoulder range of motion, particularly in external rotation.
  • Ability to understand the study procedures and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior shoulder surgery or fracture on the affected side.
  • Rotator cuff tear confirmed by imaging.
  • Glenohumeral osteoarthritis or inflammatory joint disease.
  • Neurological disorders affecting shoulder function.
  • Previous intra-articular injection within the past 3 months.
  • Contraindications to hyaluronic acid injection.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Hyaluronic Acid Injection + Rehabilitation
Participants receive ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid (10 mg/mL, once weekly for 3 consecutive weeks) combined with a standardized rehabilitation program consisting of joint mobilization, stretching, and strengthening exercises, performed twice weekly for 6 weeks.
Drug: Hyaluronic Acid (HA)
Non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid (10 mg/mL) administered via ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection into the affected shoulder joint once weekly for 3 weeks.
Other: Rehabilitation
Supervised physical therapy program including joint mobilization, stretching, and strengthening exercises, conducted twice weekly for 6 weeks.
Active Comparator: Rehabilitation Alone
Participants receive a standardized rehabilitation program including joint mobilization, stretching, and strengthening exercises, performed twice weekly for 6 weeks without hyaluronic acid injection.
Other: Rehabilitation
Supervised physical therapy program including joint mobilization, stretching, and strengthening exercises, conducted twice weekly for 6 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks
The SPADI is a validated questionnaire assessing shoulder pain and functional disability, with total scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater impairment.
Baseline, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
SPADI Item - Wearing a Pullover Shirt
Time Frame: Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
Item-level SPADI score for wearing a pullover shirt (requires combined abduction and external rotation), rated 0-10 (0=no difficulty, 10=worst difficulty).
Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
SPADI Item - Putting on Pants or Shorts
Time Frame: Time Frame: Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
Item-level SPADI score for putting on pants or shorts (requires internal rotation and extension), rated 0-10.
Time Frame: Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
SPADI Item - Pain on Arm Traction
Time Frame: Time Frame: Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
Item-level SPADI pain score during arm traction of the affected side (reflects capsular tension), rated 0-10.
Time Frame: Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
Shoulder Range of Motion
Time Frame: Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks
Active and passive range of motion of the shoulder (flexion, abduction, external rotation) measured by gravity goniometer by a blinded assessor.
Baseline, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Tri-Service General Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 5, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 5, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • C202205160

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Adhesive Capsulitis

Clinical Trials on Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings