Assessment of the treatment costs of extracorporeal shock wave therapy versus surgical treatment for shoulder diseases

Objective: To determine the actual costs of extracorporeal shock wave thera py (ESWT) in patients with tendinitis of the supraspinatus muscle. Methods: A comparison of the costs of surgical treatment versus the costs f or ESWT was made. The total accrued costs were determined 12 weeks after in tervention, using a sample group of 60 patients with calcifying or noncalci fying tendinitis of the supraspinatus muscle. Results: The costs per case ranged from EUR 2,700 to EUR 4,300 per patient for ESWT and from EUR 13,400 to EUR 23,450 for surgical treatment, dependen t on the method of calculation. Approximately 65% of the per-patient cost i s attributable to productivity losses in the workplace. Conclusions: In comparable short-term results, costs for operative treatmen t are 5-7 times higher than for ESWT. The greater trauma caused by an opera tive procedure leads to patients being off work for a longer period and thu s a correspondingly higher social economic burden.