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Incidence of rotator cuff tears in the setting of calcific tendinopathy on MRI: a case controlled comparison

Skeletal Radiology volume 48, pages 245–250 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To compare the incidence of rotator cuff tears on shoulder MRI in patients who have rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy with that in patients without calcific tendinopathy in a frequency-matched case–control study.

Materials and methods

Retrospective review shoulder MRIs of 86 patients with rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy and an 86-patient age-, gender-, and laterality-matched control group using frequency matching.

Results

No statistically significant difference (odds ratio: 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.38–1.38, p = 0.32) was found in the incidence of rotator cuff tear in the calcific tendinopathy (27.9%) and control groups (34.9%). A significant (p < 0.001) difference in the size of rotator cuff tear was seen between the two groups, with 12.5% of tears being full-thickness in the calcific tendinopathy group and 63.3% of tears being full-thickness in the control group. Only 3 of the 24 (12.5%) rotator cuff tears present in the calcific tendinopathy group occurred at the site of tendon calcification.

Conclusion

Patients presenting with indeterminate shoulder pain and rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy are not at increased risk for having a rotator cuff tear compared with similar demographic patients without calcific tendinopathy presenting with shoulder pain. Calcific tendinopathy and rotator cuff tears likely arise from different pathological processes.

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Acknowledgements

1. Memorial Hospital System in Houston.

2. We acknowledge the support provided by the Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) component of the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) for this project. CCTS is mainly funded by a grant (UL1 TR000371) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), awarded to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NCATS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, UTHealth-McGovern School of Medicine, 6431 Fannin Street, 2.130B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Nicholas M. Beckmann & Michael Q. Tran

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Chunyan Cai

  3. Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research/Design Core, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6410 Fannin, UTPB 1100.08, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Chunyan Cai

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  1. Nicholas M. Beckmann
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Correspondence to Nicholas M. Beckmann.

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Beckmann, N.M., Tran, M.Q. & Cai, C. Incidence of rotator cuff tears in the setting of calcific tendinopathy on MRI: a case controlled comparison. Skeletal Radiol 48, 245–250 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-018-3018-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-018-3018-1

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