[Treatment of calcific humero-scapular periarthropathy using needle irrigation of the shoulder: retrospective study]

212 patients with calcareous tendinitis of the shoulder were retrospectively analysed with a pain questionnaire after treatment with needle irrigation. Age, sex, number of needle irrigations and the time interval between treatment and interview were recorded from a file-card, also the side of affection. 149 questionnaires could be analysed by relational data bank processing on a personal computer. The median pain duration previous to the irrigation was 24 months; the median time interval between chalk deposition in x-ray studies of the shoulders and irrigation was 6 months. The sex ratio was 2:1 with preference given to females. The mean age at intervention was 47 years among the females and 49 years among the males; this age difference was not significant. There was no relationship between the preferred hand for working and the side of subacromial chalk deposition. We found in 54.5% painful calcareous depositions in the right shoulder and in 33.5% in the left. Both sides were affected in 12%. The median interval between needle irrigation and questionnaire analysis was 5 years. At this time 60% of all patients were free of pain, 34% stated a marked relieve of pain and 6% were unchanged.