Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for calcific tendinitis at unusual sites around the hip

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy has been considered to be an effective treatment for various pathogenic orthopedic conditions. However, it is not generally recognized in treatment for calcific tendinitis around the hip region. This article presents 2 cases of calcific tendinitis at the hip, located in the pectineus muscle and the rectus femoris muscle, where successful treatment was achieved using extracorporeal shock wave therapy. In 1 case, a 60-year-old woman presented with pain in her right thigh of 1 month's duration that had become severe in intensity for 1 week. Physical examination revealed marked localized tenderness over the posterolateral aspect of the right thigh when positioned in flexion, abduction, and external rotation. Anteroposterior and frog-leg lateral radiographs revealed nodular-shaped calcium deposits at the posterolateral aspect of the proximal thigh. T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the hip joint revealed a 2.7×1.3-cm, low-signal density area near the femoral insertion of pectineus and gluteus maximus muscle with inflammatory infiltration in the surrounding soft tissue. Treatment was started in the form of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, doses of which were administered in 3 sessions with an interval of 7 days. Radiographs of the affected thigh taken 4 weeks after therapy showed disintegration of the calcium deposits.