Condition Guide · Atlanta, GA
Calcific tendonitis is one of the more distinctive tendon problems: a deposit of calcium builds up inside a tendon — most often in the shoulder's rotator cuff — and can trigger pain that ranges from a dull background ache to an acute, hard-to-ignore flare. Understanding what the deposit is doing helps make sense of the treatment choices your specialist will walk you through.
Patient Story
This patient describes their experience with the TenJet procedure, which specialists use across a range of chronic tendon conditions.
TenJet Patient Testimonial
Video courtesy of HydroCision, Inc., the maker of TenJet®. Individual results vary; this patient's experience is not a guarantee of outcome. Talk with a specialist about whether the procedure is appropriate for you.
Understanding The Condition
In calcific tendonitis, calcium crystals accumulate within a tendon. The deposit often passes through phases — forming quietly, then, in some people, breaking down in a way that provokes an intense but usually self-limiting flare. Because the pattern varies so much from person to person, imaging is central to sorting out what stage a deposit is in and what, if anything, needs to be done about it.
Treatment Options
Calcific tendonitis is treated in a stepwise way. Many people improve with activity modification, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory measures. When symptoms persist, specialists use image-guided, in-office options — and the right one depends on the deposit, the tendon, and how much surrounding tendon has been affected. Your specialist will determine which procedure fits your situation.
Where TenJet Fits
TenJet, made by HydroCision, Inc., is a percutaneous device that a specialist uses under ultrasound guidance to treat degenerated tendon tissue — the disorganized, weakened tissue that can accompany a long-standing tendon problem. Whether it is appropriate for a given case of calcific tendonitis is a decision only your specialist can make after examining you and reviewing your imaging.
See The Procedure
A general demonstration from HydroCision of how the TenJet procedure works, plus a look at how healthy tendon tissue differs from tissue that has degenerated over time.
TenJet Patient Animation — How the Procedure Works
Diagrams and video courtesy of HydroCision, Inc.
Common Questions
Calcium deposits forming within a tendon, often alongside degeneration. Deposits can be identified on ultrasound or radiographs and may cause considerable pain relative to their size.
Published cases describe calcium deposits being broken up and extracted with the pressurised saline jet, with follow-up imaging showing resolution of the calcific debris.
The rotator cuff most often, but published cases also document calcific tendinosis in the Achilles and elsewhere. Your physician determines the approach from imaging.
No. Barbotage uses needling and lavage to break up a deposit. This is a tenotomy procedure that removes diseased tissue, and your specialist decides which is appropriate.
This information is general and is not medical advice. Whether any procedure is appropriate for you can only be determined by a physician who has examined you and reviewed your imaging.