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Arthroscopic decompression of calcific tendinitis without cuff repair
Seung-Min Youn1, Sung M Rhee2, Soong-Hwan Cho1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Myongji Hospital, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
The Bone & Joint Journal
|May 31, 2023
Summary
Arthroscopic surgery for calcific tendinitis effectively relieves pain and improves shoulder function, even without repairing rotator cuff defects. Excellent outcomes were observed, with most patients showing good healing of unrepaired tears.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Shoulder Arthroscopy
- Calcific Tendinitis Treatment
Background:
- Calcific tendinitis is a common cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction.
- Rotator cuff defects often accompany calcific deposits, necessitating surgical consideration.
- The necessity of repairing rotator cuff defects after arthroscopic decompression remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outcomes of arthroscopic decompression for calcific tendinitis without rotator cuff defect repair.
- To assess the impact of calcific deposit characteristics on surgical results.
- To determine the healing rate of unrepaired rotator cuff defects post-procedure.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 99 patients undergoing arthroscopic decompression for calcific tendinitis.
- Pre- and postoperative assessment using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores.
- Analysis of calcific deposit features and postoperative MRI findings in a subset of patients.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements in VAS and ASES scores were observed across all patient groups.
- Postoperative outcomes were favorable regardless of calcific deposit characteristics or complete excision.
- Of 29 patients with follow-up MRIs, 20.7% showed interstitial tears, yet all achieved excellent functional and pain relief scores.
Conclusions:
- Arthroscopic removal of calcific deposits without rotator cuff repair yields significant functional improvement and pain reduction.
- Rotator cuff defect healing occurred in a majority of patients (79.3%) even when left unrepaired.
- The procedure offers excellent outcomes, making rotator cuff repair unnecessary in many cases of calcific tendinitis.
