Isolated arthroscopic debridement and capsular release, in the absence of any other procedures, were associated with only temporary pain relief and improvement in motion in patients with shoulder osteoarthritis, according to a retrospective review of 33 patients seen by a single surgeon at Washington University. Although range of movement and pain scores did initially improve after debridement and capsular release, scores returned to preoperative levels approximately 3.8 months after the procedure and 20 patients (60.6%) stated that they were not satisfied with the outcome.