Predicting who develops long-term pain after total shoulder replacement using biological, psychological, and social factors
Official title: Biopsychosocial Influence on Shoulder Pain
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11139609 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $585,232 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR081796-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11139609 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older scheduled for a first-time (primary) total shoulder arthroplasty—anatomic or reverse—at Duke Health are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: George, Steven Z — Duke University
- Study coordinator: George, Steven Z
Related research
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Shoulder replacement patients: better pain care through personalized risk profiles
A Duke-led project will look at how biological, psychological, and social factors together predict chronic pain after total shoulder replacement, with the goal of guiding personalized pain management.
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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.