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Purpose To consolidate the existing literature evaluating anterior capsular release and circumferential capsular release in the treatment of adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulder. Methods The electronic databases PUBMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE and CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched from data inception to October 8, 2020. Data are presented descriptively where appropriate. A meta-analysis was conducted for patient-reported outcomes. Results Overall, there were forty-six articles included. The majority of patients underwent circumferential release compared to anterior release (80.1% vs. 19.9%). Concomitant Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA) was employed in 25 studies, with a higher occurrence in the anterior compared to the circumferential release group (70% vs 60%). Both groups experienced significant improvements postoperatively in range of motion (ROM) and patient-reported outcomes. Complication rates were low for both anterior release (0.67%) and 360° release (0.44%). Conclusion Both anterior and circumferential release are effective techniques for treating AC with low complication rates. Future studies should improve documentation of patient demographics, surgical techniques and outcomes to determine an individualized treatment protocol for patients. Level of evidence Level IV, Systematic Review of Level I–IV studies.