SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2024
Efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for upper limb tendonitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2024. 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.
What it found
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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
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Extracorporeal shockwaves therapy for finger stenosing tenosynovitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Comparison of Outcomes From Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Combined With Physical Therapy Versus Infrared Therapy Combined With Physical Therapy Among Patients With Myofascial Low Back Pain.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026Trial
- Therapeutic Efficacy of Combined Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy in a Rat Model of Acute Achilles Tendinopathy.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Rotator Cuff Disorders: Practical Recommendations for Conservative Management Based on the Literature.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Review
- Optimizing Management of Morton's Neuroma: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Clinical Practice.Cureus · 2026Review
- Case Report: Application of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in medial epicondylitis with concomitant ulnar nerve instability: a case series with long-term follow-up.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Article
- Ultrasound-Guided Versus Landmark-Based Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Calcific Shoulder Tendinopathy: An Interventional Clinical Trial.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study synthesized the highest level of evidence to analyse the effectiveness and safety of using extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) to treat upper limb tendonitis, which was unknown. Design: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, and the Cochrane Library. Methods: Two researchers performed the screening, data extraction, literature quality assessment, and heterogeneity analysis of the searched RCTs. Results: The main types of morbidity included rotator cuff tendonitis, lateral epicondylitis, finger tendonitis, and long bicipital tendonitis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that ESWT was effective in relieving pain in all four types of tendonitis. In addition, ESWT was more effective in relieving pain in patients with upper limb tendonitis than placebo at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups, especially with radial ESWT (RESWT). Data analysis of the forest plot showed that the experimental group with ESWT as an intervention had a significant improvement in function in patients with rotator cuff tendonitis at the 3-month follow-up. However, subgroup analysis showed that low-energy ESWT was effective in improving function in patients with calcified and non-calcified rotator cuff tendonitis, whereas it was not effective in relieving pain. Conclusion: ESWT can effectively improve the functional activity in patients with rotator cuff tendonitis and may produce positive analgesic effects in patients with upper limb tendonitis. The incidence of adverse effects is low. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023403594, identifier: PROSPERO, CRD42023403594.
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Registered trials
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