BACKGROUND: When traditional treatments for adhesive capsulitis (AC) fail, new modalities, such as percutaneous tenotomy of the coracohumeral ligament (CHL), can provide meaningful relief and improved function. However, it remains unclear which patients will benefit, and which will continue to experience pain.

CASE REPORT: A 59-year-old woman experienced significant pain relief and improved function after CHL release via Tenex® (Tenex Health, Lake Forest, CA) for AC of the right shoulder. Two years later, she developed AC in the left shoulder and underwent the same Tenex procedure. However, this time, her symptoms did not improve. She then received percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) targeting the left axillary and suprascapular nerves using the SPRINT system (SPR Therapeutics, Cleveland, OH), leading to durable pain relief and improved function at a 12-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: Our case highlights the evolving treatment landscape of AC and underscores the need for further research into the optimal roles of Tenex and PNS in its management.

KEYWORDS: Adhesive capsulitis, SPRINT, Tenex, neuromodulation, percutaneous tenotomy