SynthesisEuropean radiology2015
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation in rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: what is the evidence? A systematic review with proposals for future reporting.
Synthesis in European radiology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
48 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.
- Treatments for rotator cuff calcific tendinitis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials.EFORT open reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage for the treatment of rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Thermal ablation to relieve pain from metastatic bone disease: a systematic review.Skeletal radiology · 2019Pooled it
- Efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage for rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Is ultrasound-guided lavage an effective intervention for rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy? A systematic review with a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Ultrasound guided lavage with corticosteroid injection versus sham lavage with and without corticosteroid injection for calcific tendinopathy of shoulder: randomised double blinded multi-arm study.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2023Trial
- KALK study: ultrasound guided needling and lavage (barbotage) with steroid injection versus sham barbotage with and without steroid injection - protocol for a randomized, double-blinded, controlled, multicenter study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2017Trial
- Calcified chondroid mesenchymal neoplasm: a case report of perineal involvement and literature review.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- The evolving landscape of minimally invasive procedures in musculoskeletal diseases-part I.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Association Between Osseous Shoulder Morphology and Pathoanatomical Characteristics of Calcific Deposits in Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendinitis.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Ultrasound-Guided Closed-Circuit Irrigation of Calcific Tendinitis of the Shoulder: A Prospective Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Lavage for Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendinopathy: A Case Series Study from a Clinical and Radiological Perspective.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Correlation between aspiration of calcific rotator cuff tendinopathy and morphology on imaging.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Calcifications in the infraspinatus muscle: An unusual complication of calcific tendinopathy.Radiology case reports · 2025Article
- Ultrasound radiomics predict the success of US-guided percutaneous irrigation for shoulder calcific tendinopathy.Japanese journal of radiology · 2025Article
- Ultrasound guided procedures in the musculoskeletal system: a narrative review with illustrative examples.Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2024Review
- Determining the efficacy of barbotage for pain relief in calcific tendinitis.JSES international · 2024Article
- US-guided percutaneous irrigation of extra-shoulder calcific tendinitis.The British journal of radiology · 2024Article
- Intramuscular migration of calcium deposits into the deltoid muscle: two cases of a rare complication of rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy.Journal of ultrasound · 2023Article
- Intratendinous Calcified Chondroid Mesenchymal Neoplasm: A Case Report.Journal of orthopaedic case reports · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesWe performed a systematic review of current evidence regarding ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy (US-PICT) in the shoulder aimed to: assess different published techniques; evaluate clinical outcome in a large combined cohort; and propose suggestions for homogeneous future reporting.
methodsCochrane Collaboration for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Guidelines were followed. We searched MEDLINE/MEDLINE In-Process/EMBASE/Cochrane databases from 1992-2013 using the keywords 'ultrasound, shoulder, needling, calcification, lavage, rotator cuff' combined in appropriate algorithms. References of resulting papers were also screened. Risk of bias was assessed with a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
resultsOf 284 papers found, 15 were included, treating 1,450 shoulders in 1,403 patients (females, n = 838; mean age interval 40-63 years). There was no exclusion due to risk of bias.
conclusionsUS-PICT of rotator cuff is a safe and effective procedure, with an estimated average 55% pain improvement at an average of 11 months, with a 10% minor complication rate. No evidence exists in favour of using a specific size/number of needles. Imaging follow-up should not be used routinely. Future studies should aim at structural uniformity, including the use of the Constant Score to assess outcomes and 1-year minimum follow-up. Alternatives to steroid injections should also be explored. KEY POINTS: • US-PICT of rotator cuff is a safe and effective procedure. • On average 55% pain improvement with 10% minor complication rate. • No evidence exists in favour of using a specific size/number of needles. • Future need to assess outcome using Constant Score with 1-year minimum follow-up.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.