On the impact of calcified deposits within the rotator cuff tendons in shoulders of patients with shoulder pain and dysfunction

We wanted to prove the hypothesis that calcified deposits within the rotato r cuff tendons are merely an epiphenomenon of complex morphological alterat ions in the shoulders of patients with shoulder pain and dysfunction. The s houlders of 92 patients with calcified deposits within the rotator cuff ten dons as noted on plain radiographs were investigated by means of magnetic r esonance imaging (MRI; mean age of patient 51.1 years), as well as the shou lders of 28 age- and sex-matched patients with similar clinical symptoms bu t without any signs of such calcified deposits on plain radiographs. The MR I protocol comprised a coronal, oblique, T1-weighted, spin-echo sequence, a T2-weighted, turbo spin-echo sequence, a sagittal, oblique, T2-weighted, t urbo spin-echo sequence, and an axial, T1-weighted. spin-echo sequence. Fur thermore, a coronal, oblique, short tau-inversion recovery sequence and a g radient echo sequence were used. The results were compared with data from h ealthy, asymptomatic volunteers as reported in the literature. The MRI inve stigations showed no substantial differences between patients with or witho ut calcified deposits within the rotator cuff tendons, but distinct differe nces between such patients and healthy, asymptomatic volunteers. For patien ts with shoulder pain, shoulder dysfunction, and calcified deposits within the rotator cuff tendons, these calcified deposits are most probably not th e main cause of the clinical symptoms. Rather, it seems to be useful to con sider the results of MRI investigations whenever planning therapeutic proce dures for patients with shoulder pain and dysfunction, irrespective of whet her or not there are signs of calcified deposits within the rotator cuff te ndons on plain radiographs.