PT Inquest Episode 62: To Decompress or Not To Decompress Subacromial Space

80 years ago Ernest Codman proposed that calcific tendinopathy was initiated by tendon degeneration. This has never been validated. In recalcitrant cases, would surgical decompression lead to better outcomes than simple debridement of the calcium? Is this another case of “makes sense” turning out to be wrong?

Short-Term Outcome After Arthroscopic Bursectomy Debridement of Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendonopathy With and Without Subacromial Decompression: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.
Clement ND, Watts AC, Phillips C, McBirnie JM.
Arthroscopy. 2015 Sep;31(9):1680-7. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2015.05.015. Epub 2015 Jul 15.

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Music for Episode 62:
“The Science of Selling Yourself Short” by Less Than Jake
Used by Permission

Photo credit: “Ernest Amory Codman” from WikiCommons (public domain).

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