It is a medical technique established in the treatment of calcium tendinopathy, namely calcification of the shoulder rotator cuff, safe, often avoiding surgical procedures and contributing to the earlier recovery of the normal daily activity of the patient.

 

This is an outpatient procedure, with local anesthesia only, which uses ultrasound to guide a fine needle through which saline lavage and aspiration of the calcifications deposited inside the tendons of the rotator hood are performed, thus avoiding exposure to ionizing radiation.

 

With ultrasound control, an experienced operator can direct and real-time visualization of heterotopic calcification, with access to lavage or fragmentation, according to the evolutionary state of calcium tendinopathy, with minimal tendon injury and avoiding the lesion of the tendon structures , articular and ligamentary satellites.

 

Ultrasound allows at the same time, the identification of other associated pathologies, such as bursitis or tendinous ruptures.

 

The technique of barking (of needling) and lavage of calcifications, together with infiltration of the echogenic bursa, improve clinical and imaging results in 1 year in patients with calcium tendinopathy of the rotator cuff.

 

With this technique there is a probability of 60-70% of complete or significant improvement of the symptoms and return to the activity.

 

Sometimes, two treatments may be needed, at intervals of 6 weeks. About 1/3 of patients may not respond to treatment, and may require surgery.