Predicting who develops long-term pain after total shoulder replacement using biological, psychological, and social factors
Biopsychosocial Influence on Shoulder Pain
This project looks for patterns in biology, emotions, and social circumstances that help predict which adults will still have pain one year after total shoulder replacement.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139609 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be enrolled before a primary total shoulder arthroplasty at Duke and asked to provide blood samples and complete questionnaires about mood, pain, and social factors. The team will collect biological markers, psychological measures, and social information before surgery and at several times after surgery to track changes. They plan to follow 461 patients and determine who has ongoing pain 12 months after surgery. The study aims to combine these measures into a risk profile that could guide more personalized pain care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older scheduled for a first-time (primary) total shoulder arthroplasty—anatomic or reverse—at Duke Health are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People not having shoulder replacement surgery, those under 21, or patients undergoing revision/non-primary shoulder procedures are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors identify patients at high risk for chronic pain after shoulder replacement and tailor pain-management plans to reduce long-term suffering.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research links psychological and social factors to chronic post-surgical pain, but prospectively combining those factors with biological markers in a large shoulder arthroplasty group is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: George, Steven Z — Duke University
- Study coordinator: George, Steven Z
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.