Predictive factor for failure of conservative management in the treatment of calcific tendinitis of the shoulder

OBJECTIVES: Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder is a painful condition characterized by the presence of calcium deposits within the tendons of the rotator cuff (RTC) and accounts for up to 7% of all presentations of shoulder pain. Conservative treatment with physical therapy (PT) and corticosteroid injection is often the first line treatment. When conservative management fails, arthroscopic surgery for removal of the calcium may be considered. Surgical removal is often followed by rotator cuff repair to address the resulting tendon defect. This study was performed to assess predictive factors for failure of conservative management as well as to characterize the rate of rotator cuff repair in the setting of calcific tendinitis. We hypothesize that larger calcific lesion would have a higher likelihood to fail conservative treatment and the majority of patients requiring surgery will require a concomitant rotator cuff repair. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients who were diagnosed with calcific tendinitis at our institution between 2009 and 2019 was performed. Demographics, comorbidities, pain score (VAS), ASES, ROM and patient-reported quality of life measures were recorded and analyzed. All patients underwent a radiograph and MRI. Size of the calcific lesion was measured based on its largest diameter on radiograph. Statistical analysis included chi-square, independent t test and ANOVA. Descriptive statistics were used to report data. p<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: 239 patients were identified in the study period; 127 (53.1%) were female. Mean age was 54 years and BMI 29.2 with mean follow up of 6 months. Preoperative pain score was 6.3 and ASES score was 47.9. 160 had an intact RTC (67.2%) and 78 had a partial RTC tear (32.8%). The calcific lesion was located in the supraspinatus in 148 patients (63.8%), infraspinatus in 32 patients (13.8%), subscapularis in 9 patients (3.9%), teres minor in 1 patient (0.4%) and combined tendons in 42 patients (18.1%). 93/239 (38.9%) patients failed conservative treatment after an average of 4.4 months necessitating surgical management. Failure rate for PT was 36.6% (24/71), for subacromial corticosteroid injection was 31.6% (25/79) and 33.8% (24/71) for ultrasound guided aspiration. Among patients who underwent surgery the majority of patients, 77/93 (82.8%) required a concomitant rotator cuff repair. Sub-analysis demonstrates that calcific lesions > 1 cm was significantly associated with failure of conservative treatment (odds ratio=2.81, 95% CI 1.25-6.29, p<0.05). All patients who underwent surgery demonstrated significant improvements in pain scores (6.3 to 2.3 VAS), ASES (47.9 to 90.49), forward flexion (133° to 146.8°) and external rotation (49.2° to 57.6°) (p<0.05) postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with calcific lesions >1 cm have a 2.8x-increased likelihood of failing conservative treatment in the setting of calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. The majority of patients who undergo surgical management for removal of the calcific deposit will require a concomitant rotator cuff repair and have significant improvements in shoulder pain and function. While conservative management is often considered a first-line treatment, the size of the lesion may play a significant role regarding whether conservative treatment will be successful, and patients should be counseled accordingly. Once surgery is decided, orthopedic surgeons should also be aware of the high likelihood of concomitant rotator cuff repair for preoperative planning and discussion.