Nonsurgical Treatment May Ease Rotator Cuff Injury
Ultrasound-guided procedure reduced pain and restored mobility in tendinitis patients, a study finds.
TUESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of people suffer from tendinitis of the rotator cuff, but a minimally invasive procedure can significantly reduce their pain and restore mobility of the shoulder, Italian researchers say.
Their study included 287 patients with calcific tendinitis, which involves small calcium deposits within the tendons of the rotator cuff in the shoulder. The patients were randomly assigned to receive ultrasound-guided percutaneous (through the skin) therapy (219 patients) or to a control group that didn't receive treatment (68 patients). Follow-up was conducted after one month, three months, one year, five years and 10 years.
During the 20-minute procedure, a radiologist uses ultrasound guidance to inject a saline solution into the rotator cuff to wash the affected area and break up calcium deposits.
Compared to patients in the control group, those who received treatment showed a considerable reduction in pain and improved mobility after one month, three months and one year. After five and 10 years, both groups of patients showed similar improvement, the researchers found.
The study appears in the July issue of the journal Radiology.
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