Title:Calcific Tendinopathy Atypically Located Outside the Rotator Cuff: A
Systematic Review
Volume: 20
Author(s): Federica Delbello, Paolo Spinnato*Maria Pilar Aparisi Gomez
Affiliation:
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
Keywords:
Calcification, Tendinopathy, Longus colli, Achilles, Rectus femori, Rotator cuff.
Abstract:
Background and Purpose:
Calcific tendinopathy is a common cause of painful shoulder easily identified with ultrasound or conventional radiography. Although the rotator
cuff is by far the most common location of the disease and diagnostic or treatment strategies are well known in clinical practice, a lack of
awareness characterizes the assessment of the other sites affected by this condition; consequently, the risk of underestimating the prevalence of
atypical non-rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy is high. This may lead to expensive or invasive diagnostic exams and/or inappropriate treatment,
whereas the condition is usually self-limited.
The present study aims at analysing the frequency of calcific tendinitis in uncommon sites, in order to fill a gap in knowledge and awareness
regarding non-rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy, thus avoiding improper clinical choices and helping to identify this condition.
Methods:
This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. We performed a search on Pubmed and Scopus databases concerning
atypically sited extra-rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy published since 1950.
Results:
The research found a total of 267 articles and 793 non-rotator cuff cases of calcific tendinopathy registered. The spine (213 – 26.86%), foot and
ankle (191 – 23.95%), and hip (175 – 22.06%) appeared to be the most common sites of calcific tendinopathy after the rotator cuff, whereas the
longus colli C1-C2 (204 – 25.72%), Achilles (173 – 21.81%), and rectus femori (61 – 7.69%) were the most commonly affected tendons.
Conclusion:
A better awareness of this condition in several different sites of the body than the rotator cuff could avoid unnecessary choices both in assessment
and treatment.