Follow-up of the Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendonitis trial:
- Needle US-guided treatment vs. Subacromial corticosteroids -

Calcifying tendinitis (CAT) of the shoulder is frequently diagnosed in case of
shoulder pain. CAT is generally considered to be a self-limiting condition, but
symptoms can be very severe and long-lasting. Therefore, there is much debate
on the treatment of CaT, and on the use of more or less invasive treatment
methods.
In 2013, we published the results of a trial comparing two common treatments of
CaT, with a follow-up period of 1 year (P09.239, Am J Sports Med 2013 Jul; 41
(7):. 1665-73): ultrasound-guided needling and lavage (barbotage) combined with
subacromial corticosteroid injections vs. ultrasound-guided subacromial
corticosteroid injections.
The results showed, that there was clinical and radiological progress in both
treatment groups after 1 year of follow-up. However, both the clinical and
radiological results of barbotage were significantly better.
This was the first trial in which these common treatment methods were compared.
However, for both treatments, long-term results are unclear, as for most other
treatments of CAT.

To compare the mid-term results (4-5 years) of ultrasound-guided barbotage
combined with subacromial corticosteroid injections vs. ultrasound-guided
subacromial corticosteroid injections alone, in patients with calcifying
tendinitis, enrolled in the RCCT trial in 2010-2011.

Randomized controlled trial (RCT), double-blinded, mid-term results. Level of
evidence: II.

Participation in this study takes each subject 60 minutes of time. Subjects
will undergo an X-ray (exposure to ± 0.02 mSv/X-ray-shoulder).
Subjects will have no direct benefit from participating in this study.