OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of ultrasound (US)-guided needle puncture, aspiration and lavage in the treatment of symptomatic calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Atraumatic pain in 61 shoulders of 58 patients was resistant to conservative therapy. The average age of the treated patients was 42 years (range 26-49 years), follow-up was 12 months, and the mean diameter of the calcifications was 1.6 cm (range 1.1-2.9 cm). With US guidance and local anesthesia, two needles were placed within each calcification. The calcification was punctured 10-15 times and saline solution injected and aspirated using the needles until the aspirate was free of calcific particles. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Based on radiographs at 1 year follow-up. 74% (45 of 61) of the calcifications decreased, including 28% (17 of 61) which disappeared totally, and 26% (16 of 61) were unchanged. Calcifications with a faint or absent shadow on US proved to be nearly liquid (slurry calcification in 93% (14 of 15) of cases and could be aspirated. Clinical results were excellent in 74% (45 of 61), moderate in 16% (10 of 61) and poor in 10% (6 of 61) of cases. US offers technical advantages over fluoroscopy, and the typical US image of a slurry calcification helps to select the most suitable patients for aspiration treatment. The results are comparable with those using fluoroscopic guidance.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of ultrasound (US)-guided needle puncture, aspiration and lavage in the treatment of symptomatic calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Atraumatic pain in 61 shoulders of 58 patients was resistant to conservative therapy. The average age of the treated patients was 42 years (range 26-49 years), follow-up was 12 months, and the mean diameter of the calcifications was 1.6 cm (range 1.1-2.9 cm). With US guidance and local anesthesia, two needles were placed within each calcification. The calcification was punctured 10-15 times and saline solution injected and aspirated using the needles until the aspirate was free of calcific particles. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Based on radiographs at 1 year follow-up. 74% (45 of 61) of the calcifications decreased, including 28% (17 of 61) which disappeared totally, and 26% (16 of 61) were unchanged. Calcifications with a faint or absent shadow on US proved to be nearly liquid (slurry calcification in 93% (14 of 15) of cases and could be aspirated. Clinical results were excellent in 74% (45 of 61), moderate in 16% (10 of 61) and poor in 10% (6 of 61) of cases. US offers technical advantages over fluoroscopy, and the typical US image of a slurry calcification helps to select the most suitable patients for aspiration treatment. The results are comparable with those using fluoroscopic guidance.
Authors: Luca Maria Sconfienza; Sara Viganò; Chiara Martini; Alberto Aliprandi; Pietro Randelli; Giovanni Serafini; Francesco Sardanelli Journal: Skeletal Radiol Date: 2012-06-19 Impact factor: 2.199
Authors: Robert Bethune; Anthony M J Bull; Robert J Dickinson; Roger J H Emery Journal: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc Date: 2006-06-09 Impact factor: 4.342
Authors: Federico Del Castillo-González; Juan José Ramos-Álvarez; Guillermo Rodríguez-Fabián; José González-Pérez; Javier Calderón-Montero Journal: Muscles Ligaments Tendons J Date: 2015-02-05