MIDTERM FOLLOW-UP OF SURGICALLY TREATED C ALCIFYING TENDINITIS OF THESHOULDER

Purpose: investigation of clinical und ultrasonographical results afte r operatively treated calcifying tendinitis. Methods: 131 patients wit h calcifying tendinitis were treated by surgical decompression and, if necessary and possible, calcific deposit removal. 93% of these patien ts were clinically and ultrasonographically examined after an average time of 4 years and 5 months. Results: Pain rating on a visual analogu e scale 0 - no pain to 10 - maximum pain was 8.7 before surgery and 1. 4 at follow-up. 88% of the patients rated the operation excellent or g ood. The Constant Score results corresponded to the average results of a normal population (100,3). At the time of examination in 16,4% of t he cases new calcific deposits could be discovered. Conclusions: Accor ding to the clinical results operative treatment shows good and excell ent results in a high degree even after unsuccessful non-operative the rapy.