Focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy for greater trochanteric pain syndrome with gluteal tendinopathy: a...

To investigate if focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy (f-ESWT) is an effective treatment in a population affected by greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS).

Randomized controlled trial, with blind outcome assessors.

Outpatients, University Hospital.

A total of 50 patients affected by GTPS with gluteal tendinopathy.

The study group was assigned to receive f-ESWT, the control group received ultrasound therapy (UST).

We assessed hip pain and lower limb function by means of a numeric rating scale (p-NRS) and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS scale), respectively. The first follow-up evaluation (2M-FUP) was performed two months after the first treatment session, the second (6M-FUP) was carried out six months later.

The mean age of the population was 61.24 (9.26) years. A marked prevalence of the female sex was recorded (44 subjects, 86%). The statistical analysis showed a significant pain reduction over time for the study group and the control group, the f-ESWT proving to be significantly more effective than UST ( P < 0.05) at the 2M-FUP (2.08 vs 3.36) and at the 6M-FUP (0.79 vs 2.03). A marked improvement of the LEFS total score was observed in both groups as well, but we found no statistical differences in the comparisons between groups.

Our findings support the hypothesis that f-ESWT is effective in reducing pain, both in the short-term and in the mid-term perspective. We also observed a functional improvement in the affected lower limb, but, in this case, f-ESWT showed not to be superior to UST.