Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36723056›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine2023

Efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound in the treatment of chronic calcific shoulder tendinitis: a randomized trial.

Stjepan Čota, Valentina Delimar, Iva Žagar, Kristina Kovač Durmiš, Nikolina Kristić Cvitanović, Nikolino Žura, Porin Perić, Nadica Laktašić Žerjavić

Open access · diamondAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Polynucleotides High Purification Technology (PN HPTJournal of clinical medicine · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. [Research progress of ultrasound in diagnosis and treatment of shoulder joint diseases].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2024
    Review
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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Stjepan ČotaDepartment of Pediatric Orthopedics, Children's Hospital of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Valentina DelimarSpecial Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation of Krapinske Toplice, Krapinske Toplice, Croatia.
Iva ŽagarUniversity Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Centre of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Kristina Kovač DurmišUniversity Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Centre of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Nikolina Kristić CvitanovićDepartment of Pediatric Orthopedics, Children's Hospital of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Nikolino ŽuraUniversity Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Centre of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Porin PerićUniversity Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Centre of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Nadica Laktašić ŽerjavićUniversity Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Centre of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia - nadica_laktasic@yahoo.com.
University Hospital Centre Zagreb · HRChildren's Hospital Zagreb · HRUniversity of Zagreb · HR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCalcific shoulder tendinitis (CST) is characterized by hydroxyapatite crystals deposition in the rotator cuff tendons. Therapeutic exercises have been the mainstay of CST treatment, and evidence for therapeutic ultrasound (T-US) utilization and efficacy is lacking.

aimThis study aimed to determine whether 4500 J T-US combined with therapeutic exercises is superior to therapeutic exercises alone regarding calcification size reduction and symptom improvement in chronic symptomatic CST.

designThis is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

settingThis study was conducted at a University Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation of a University Hospital. POPULATION: Patients with chronic CST were analyzed.

methodsAfter eligibility allocation, 46 patients with sonographically confirmed CST were divided into two groups (56 shoulders, 26 per group). Both groups performed the same therapeutic exercises for half an hour under physiotherapist supervision. In the treatment group T-US (4500 J, 10 minutes per session at a frequency of 1 MHz and an intensity of 1.5 W/cm

resultsAll assessed variables improved in both groups. A significantly greater reduction in calcification size was recorded in the treatment group compared to placebo: -10.92% (IQR 4.61% to 19.38%) versus -5.04% (2.30% to 7.22%), P=0.008. There was a significantly greater decrease in HAQ-DI, reduction of VAS GH, and an increase in hand grip strength in the treatment group, while no significant differences were observed for other parameters between the groups.

conclusionsOur results showed that adding the 4500 J T-US to therapeutic exercises in chronic symptomatic CST therapy resulted in greater calcification size reduction immediately following the treatment, as well as hand grip strength, HAQ-DI, and VAS GH improvement. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: 4500 J T-US combined with therapeutic exercises is more effective in reducing calcification size than therapeutic exercises alone in the treatment of chronic symptomatic CST.

Indexed as

CalcinosisTendinopathyUltrasonic TherapyHand StrengthHumansShoulderShoulder PainTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID36723056
PMCPMC10035437
OpenAlexW4318753898

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.