Long-term course of shoulders after ultrasound therapy for calcific tendinitis: results of the ten years’ follow-up of an RCT

Objective To follow both the structure and function related long-term course of shoulders that had been treated with therapeutic ultrasound (US) for symptomatic calcific tendinitis. Design Long-term follow-up of 45 shoulders (37 patients) that had been treated for symptomatic calcific tendinitis with either a series of US or sham US ten years ago. The main outcome variables were presence of calcium deposits and subacromial impingement on standardized X-ray imaging, shoulder symptoms (Binder score) and function (Constant score). Results At ten years, a similar proportion of calcium deposits had resolved in 78% of the originally US treated compared with 83% of sham treated shoulders, whereas at nine months significantly more calcium deposits had been resolved in the US group (p=0.045). Relative to baseline, shoulder symptoms and function had significantly improved at both the ten-years´ and nine-months´ follow-up examinations with no significant differences between groups. Regular sports performance at baseline predicted a favorable long-term outcome. Conclusions Symptomatic calcific tendinitis of the shoulder has a good likelihood to completely resolve in the long-term. Treating the calcium deposit effectively, however, may not be causal to the recovery from symptoms and function in calcific tendinitis. Acknowledgments: None. Conflict of interest: None. Funding or grants: None. Financial benefits: None. Previous presentation: The research was presented at the 2016 Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and awarded with the AAPM&R President's Citation Award 2016. Corresponding author: Gerold Ebenbichler MD, Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria, Email: gerold.ebenbichler@meduniwien.ac.at Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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