title: Medium-energy shock wave therapy in the treatment of rotator cuff calcifying tendinitis.
abstract: To evaluate the results of the treatment with medium-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in rotator cuff calcifying tendinitis. Fifty-four non-consecutive patients, who were referred to our institute for rotator cuff calcifying tendinitis, were managed with a standardized protocol in four sessions of medium-energy (0.11 mJ/mm2) ESWT administered with an electromagnetic lithotriptor. Pain was evaluated at the end of each session, functional state of shoulder was assessed at 1 and 6 months after the end of procedure. All patients underwent radiographs and sonography imaging. No systemic or local complications. Thirty-eight patients (70%) reported satisfactory functional results. Radiographs and sonographs showed a disappearance of calcium deposit in 29 patients (54%) and in 19 patients (35%) it appeared to be reduced more than a half. A correlation was found between residual calcium deposit and the clinical outcome, but some patients showed a reduced pain without modification of calcium deposit. These results were unmodified at 6 months follow-up. Our protocol of medium-energy ESWT provides good results overall about pain modulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Biagio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Genco
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patella
authors.forename: Elyazid
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mouhsine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017006:Rotator Cuff; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome