• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2014

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonography-guided combined multiple needling and high-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. Materials and Methods: We included 42 calcific tendinitis patients who underwent ultrasonograpy-guided multiple needling followed by high-energy ESWT who visited the clinic from January 2010 to June 2013. The average follow up period was 45 weeks. Clinical evaluation was done before and after 12 weeks from treatment, in clinical terms using pain visual analogue scale (P-VAS), ASES, UCLA scores reflecting performance and symptom improvement, and in sonographic terms by studying the changes in size of the calcific nodules. Results: A statistically significant improvement was seen in P-VAS, ASES, UCLA scores and decreased calcification size on sonographic evaluation. Conclusion: Ultrasonography-guided combined multiple needling and high-energy ESWT is considered as a useful method which could provide clinical function improvement and reduction of calcification deposit.