Combined arthroscopic rotator cuff repair leads to better clinical outcomes than isolated removal of calcific deposits for shoulder calcific tendinitis: A 2- to 5-year follow-up study.

Purpose: The optimal treatment procedure for shoulder calcific tendinitis (CT) remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of arthroscopic treatment for CT, and to compare the clinical outcomes following combined rotator cuff repair and isolated removal of calcific deposits. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 46 patients (47 shoulders) with confirmed shoulder CT, and the diameter of the calcific deposit was over 1 cm. All patients suffered from CT for a mean period of 17.82 months and had a poor response to conservative treatment. With 12 males and 34 females included, the mean age was 53.94 years. After failed conservative treatment, 23 shoulders underwent combined rotator cuff repair (repair group), and 24 shoulders underwent isolated removal of calcific deposits (debridement group). The clinical outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery and annually thereafter. The efficacy measures included the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score and radiographic outcomes. Results: Remarkable improvement in clinical outcomes at the final follow-up (2- to 5-year) compared with those at baseline were observed ( Conclusions: Arthroscopic removal of calcific deposits is safe and effective for treating CT. Compared with isolated debridement, combined rotator cuff repair led to worse short-term (<12 months) but better medium- (12-48 months) to long-term (≥48 months) improvements in pain, function and integrity of tendons.