Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33479863›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2021

Sonographic evaluation of the association between calcific tendinopathy and rotator cuff tear: a case-controlled comparison.

Nicholas C Laucis, Kelli A Rosen, Anay Thodge, Jessica R Leschied, Chad L Klochko, Steven B Soliman

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Intrasheath Tendon Subluxation Beyond the Ankle: The First Case Series in the Hand.Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine · 2025
    Article
  2. Muscle Ultrasound: A Novel Noninvasive Tool for Early Detection of Developing Insulin Resistance and Lower Muscle Mass in Obesity.Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. In vivo evaluation of rotator cuff internal impingement during scapular plane abduction in asymptomatic individuals.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2023
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nicholas C LaucisDivision of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1082-6362
Kelli A RosenDivision of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4757-8024
Anay ThodgeDivision of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.
Jessica R LeschiedDivision of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3178-7291
Chad L KlochkoDivision of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1662-0995
Steven B SolimanDivision of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA. stevens@rad.hfh.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4034-584X
Henry Ford Hospital · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo compare the incidence of rotator cuff (RC) tears on shoulder ultrasounds of patients with RC calcific tendinopathy (CaT) to that of a control group without CaT.

methodIn this retrospective case-control study, 50 shoulder ultrasounds of patients with CaT were compared independently by 2 musculoskeletal radiologists to 50 patients from a control group without CaT to catalog the number and type of RC tears. RC tears in the CaT group were further characterized based on location, into tears in the specific tendon(s) containing calcium versus all tendon tears.

resultsRC tears were diagnosed in 38% (19/50) of the control group (16 full-thickness) as compared to 22% (11/50) with CaT (6 full-thickness). The fewer full-thickness tears in the CaT group (12%, 6 of 50) compared to that in the control group (32%, 16 of 50) was statistically significant (P = 0.016, odds ratio 0.29). Only 7 of the 11 tears in the CaT group were in a calcium-containing tendon (3 full-thickness). The fewer calcium-containing tendon tears compared to tears in the control group was also statistically significant (P = 0.006, odds ratio 0.27). Furthermore, the fewer full-thickness calcium-containing tendon tears (6%, 3/50) compared to full-thickness tears in the control group (32%, 16/50) were yet more statistically significant (P = 0.001, odds ratio 0.14).

conclusionsIn patients with shoulder pain and CaT, we observed a decreased number of RC tears and especially calcium-containing tendon tears, as compared to similar demographic patients with shoulder pain but without CaT. Key Points • Patients with rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy have few rotator cuff tears, especially full-thickness tears, compared to a control group without calcific tendinopathy. • The tendons containing the calcium hydroxyapatite deposition were the least likely to have a rotator cuff tear. • Future studies could evaluate if calcium hydroxyapatite deposition provides a protective mechanism against rotator cuff tears. • Musculoskeletal ultrasound is more sensitive than MRI in the evaluation of rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy.

Indexed as

Rotator Cuff InjuriesTendinopathyCase-Control StudiesHumansRetrospective StudiesRotator CuffCalcific tendinopathyCalcium hydroxyapatite depositionMusculoskeletal ultrasoundRotator cuff tearShoulder

Identifiers

PMID33479863
OpenAlexW3122493539

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.