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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Treatment Protocol for Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendinitis Using a Single-Crystal Piezoelectric Focused Shock Wave Source
Published on: December 23, 2022
Reduced local perfusion after shock wave treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy
Angela Notarnicola1, Lorenzo Moretti, Silvio Tafuri
1Department of Clinical Methodology and Surgical Techniques, Orthopedics Section, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of University of Bari, General Hospital, Bari, Italy. angelanotarnicola@yahoo.it
Abstract:
A marked neovascularity has been demonstrated in tendinopathies, due to the inflammatory-degenerative process. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on tissue perfusion in the treatment of tendinopathy. An observational clinical study was made of 30 patients undergoing ESWT for tendinopathy of the rotator cuff. A clinical improvement was obtained in 65.6% of patients at 2 and 6 months. This was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the oxygen tissue saturation, measured by oxymetry that was apparent already during treatment, as well as at subsequent follow-up visits. The reduced perfusion achieved with ESWT supports the hypothesis that this treatment can regulate the inflammatory process and offset increased vascularization, restoring physiologic tendon conditions.
