Calcific Tendinitis of ShoulderNCT06503302
The Effect of Doppler Ultrasound on Calcified Tendinitis
A study testing ultrasound Doppler function detection in people with Calcific Tendinitis of Shoulder, run by Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital at 1 site in Taiwan.
Trial summary
Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, is a self-limiting disease characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate crystals in the rotator cuff tendons. Patients will develop complications such as decreased range of motion of the shoulder joint, and thus reducing their quality of life. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Calcific Tendinitis of Shoulder
- What is being tested?
- ultrasound Doppler function detection
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTaiwan
- Study dates
- 10 Jul 2024to Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- chronic shoulder pain for more than 1 month
- shoulder X-ray showed calcified deposit
Who cannot join
- patient with needle phobia
- patient with known allergy to medication like Triamcinolone and Lidocaine
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Taiwan1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Taipei, 235
Mei-Sean Loh, +886 02-22490088 ext. 1603, 19210@s.tmu.edu.tw
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Doppler Ultrasound on Calcified Tendinitis: a Double Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, is a self-limiting disease characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate crystals in the rotator cuff tendons. Patients will develop complications such as decreased range of motion of the shoulder joint, and thus reducing their quality of life. The most common site of occurrence is 1.5-2 cm away from the supraspinatus tendon insertion site on the greater tuberosity. The primary treatment for calcific tendinitis is conservative, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics for pain relieving, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, subacromial steroid injections, ultrasound-guided barbotage technique for aspirating and washing out calcific deposits. Ultrasound is being used in calcified tendinitis for evaluating its size, location, quality, and also using the color Doppler ultrasonography to evaluate its reactive inflammatory changes. However, the use of color Doppler ultrasonography in diagnosing and treating a shoulder pain with calcification is not being concluded yet. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasonography in calcified tendinitis.
Read the detailed description
Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasonography in calcified tendinitis.
- Conditions
- Calcific Tendinitis of Shoulder
- Being tested
- ultrasound Doppler function detection
- Keywords
- Doppler ultrasound
- Medical subject headings
- Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ultrasound Doppler function detectionDiagnostic test
Doppler function detection is an ultrasound technique that measures and visualizes blood flow within an object, such as vessels and soft tissue. It can be used to check for the inflammation status of calcifications by detecting blood flow around the calcified areas before performing an ultrasound-guided injection.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| With Doppler ultrasound | Experimental | The physician will use Doppler function detection to check if calcifications are under active inflammation before ultrasound-guided injection. Receives: Diagnostic Test: ultrasound Doppler function detection |
| Without Doppler ultrasound | Active comparator | The physician will only open the Doppler image in the non-calcified area for patient blinding before the ultrasound-guided injection. Receives: Diagnostic Test: ultrasound Doppler function detection |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Need for a Second Ultrasound-Guided Injection
Whether a second ultrasound-guided injection is needed within a short period after the initial ultrasound-guided treatment, meaning whether significant improvement can be rapidly achieved after the first ultrasound-guided injection (defined as a reduction in pain index ≥50%).
Measured: between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Secondary outcomes (3)
Pain Index (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS)
A simple and quick assessment method using a numerical scale from 0 to 10, where "0" represents no pain at all and "10" represents the most unbearable pain. The participant rates their own pain level.
Measured: before treatment, between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection, within the fourth week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Size of Calcification
Assessed using shoulder X-rays. The principal investigator will prescribe shoulder X-rays in the anteroposterior and lateral views during clinic visits. An outcome assessor will measure the calcification three times in each direction and calculate the average of the three measurements. The larger area from the two directions will be taken as the final measurement result.
Measured: before treatment, between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection, within the fourth week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) Questionnaire
QuickDASH is a subset of 11 items from the 30-item DASH and is a self-reported questionnaire in which the response options are presented as 5-point Likert scales. At least 10 of the 11 items must be completed for a score to be calculated and the scores range from 0 (no disability) to 100 (most severe disability). This score was designed be useful in patients with any musculoskeletal disorder of the upper limb. It also consists of two optional modules: high-level sports/performing arts and work modules (4 items each, scored from 1 to 5).
Measured: before treatment, between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection, within the fourth week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jul 2024
- Study start10 Jul 2024
- Primary completionMay 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Calcific Tendinitis of ShoulderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Hung-Chou Chen, Principal investigator, Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06503302
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TMU-IJRB-N202311060
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Jul 2024
- Last updated
- 1 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Janeiro J, Barreira SC, Martins P, Ninitas P, Campos J, Fonseca JE. Ultrasound Features Associated With Shoulder Complaints: Calcifications Larger Than 6 mm in Young Patients and Positive Doppler Are Associated With Pain. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Nov 19;8:715423. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.715423. eCollection 2021.
PubMed 34869414Janeiro J, Barreira S, Martins P, Sarmento M, Campos J, Fonseca JE. Ultrasound findings and prognosis of shoulder pain: A role for Doppler signal? J Clin Ultrasound. 2023 Jun;51(5):837-844. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23436. Epub 2023 Jan 30.
PubMed 36715681Cesarec G, Martinec S, Cicak N. CALCIFIC TENDINOPATHY: CALCIUM DEPOSIT MORPHOLOGY DIRECTLY AFFECTS PAIN AND FUNCTION OF THE SHOULDER. Acta Clin Croat. 2020 Jun;59(2):270-276. doi: 10.20471/acc.2020.59.02.10.
PubMed 33456114Bazzocchi A, Pelotti P, Serraino S, Battaglia M, Bettelli G, Fusaro I, Guglielmi G, Rotini R, Albisinni U. Ultrasound imaging-guided percutaneous treatment of rotator cuff calcific tendinitis: success in short-term outcome. Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1057):20150407. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20150407. Epub 2015 Nov 26.
PubMed 26607641Patil P, Dasgupta B. Role of diagnostic ultrasound in the assessment of musculoskeletal diseases. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2012 Oct;4(5):341-55. doi: 10.1177/1759720X12442112.
PubMed 23024711
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Doppler Ultrasound on Calcified Tendinitis: a Double Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06503302
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TMU-IJRB-N202311060
- Conditions
- Calcific Tendinitis of Shoulder
- Keywords
- Doppler ultrasound
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, is a self-limiting disease characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate crystals in the rotator cuff tendons. Patients will develop complications such as decreased range of motion of the shoulder joint, and thus reducing their quality of life. The most common site of occurrence is 1.5-2 cm away from the supraspinatus tendon insertion site on the greater tuberosity. The primary treatment for calcific tendinitis is conservative, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics for pain relieving, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, subacromial steroid injections, ultrasound-guided barbotage technique for aspirating and washing out calcific deposits. Ultrasound is being used in calcified tendinitis for evaluating its size, location, quality, and also using the color Doppler ultrasonography to evaluate its reactive inflammatory changes. However, the use of color Doppler ultrasonography in diagnosing and treating a shoulder pain with calcification is not being concluded yet. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasonography in calcified tendinitis.
Detailed description
Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasonography in calcified tendinitis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| With Doppler ultrasound | Experimental | Diagnostic Test: ultrasound Doppler function detectionThe physician will use Doppler function detection to check if calcifications are under active inflammation before ultrasound-guided injection. |
| Without Doppler ultrasound | Active comparator | Diagnostic Test: ultrasound Doppler function detectionThe physician will only open the Doppler image in the non-calcified area for patient blinding before the ultrasound-guided injection. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- chronic shoulder pain for more than 1 month
- shoulder X-ray showed calcified deposit
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- patient with needle phobia
- patient with known allergy to medication like Triamcinolone and Lidocaine
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| ultrasound Doppler function detectionDoppler function detection is an ultrasound technique that measures and visualizes blood flow within an object, such as vessels and soft tissue. It can be used to check for the inflammation status of calcifications by detecting blood flow around the calcified areas before performing an ultrasound-guided injection. | Diagnostic test | With Doppler ultrasound, Without Doppler ultrasound |
Primary outcome
Need for a Second Ultrasound-Guided Injection
Time frame: between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Whether a second ultrasound-guided injection is needed within a short period after the initial ultrasound-guided treatment, meaning whether significant improvement can be rapidly achieved after the first ultrasound-guided injection (defined as a reduction in pain index ≥50%).
3 secondary outcomes
Pain Index (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS)
Time frame: before treatment, between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection, within the fourth week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Size of Calcification
Time frame: before treatment, between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection, within the fourth week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) Questionnaire
Time frame: before treatment, between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection, within the fourth week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2026.
- Background: PubMed 34869414Janeiro J, Barreira SC, Martins P, Ninitas P, Campos J, Fonseca JE. Ultrasound Features Associated With Shoulder Complaints: Calcifications Larger Than 6 mm in Young Patients and Positive Doppler Are Associated With Pain. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Nov 19;8:715423. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.715423. eCollection 2021.
- Background: PubMed 36715681Janeiro J, Barreira S, Martins P, Sarmento M, Campos J, Fonseca JE. Ultrasound findings and prognosis of shoulder pain: A role for Doppler signal? J Clin Ultrasound. 2023 Jun;51(5):837-844. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23436. Epub 2023 Jan 30.
- Background: PubMed 33456114Cesarec G, Martinec S, Cicak N. CALCIFIC TENDINOPATHY: CALCIUM DEPOSIT MORPHOLOGY DIRECTLY AFFECTS PAIN AND FUNCTION OF THE SHOULDER. Acta Clin Croat. 2020 Jun;59(2):270-276. doi: 10.20471/acc.2020.59.02.10.
- Background: PubMed 26607641Bazzocchi A, Pelotti P, Serraino S, Battaglia M, Bettelli G, Fusaro I, Guglielmi G, Rotini R, Albisinni U. Ultrasound imaging-guided percutaneous treatment of rotator cuff calcific tendinitis: success in short-term outcome. Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1057):20150407. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20150407. Epub 2015 Nov 26.
- Background: PubMed 23024711Patil P, Dasgupta B. Role of diagnostic ultrasound in the assessment of musculoskeletal diseases. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2012 Oct;4(5):341-55. doi: 10.1177/1759720X12442112.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Hung-Chou Chen principal investigator
Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing ultrasound Doppler function detection in people with Calcific Tendinitis of Shoulder, run by Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital at 1 site in Taiwan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Taiwan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mei Sean Loh (+886 02-22490088 ext. 1603, 19210@s.tmu.edu.tw), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Need for a Second Ultrasound-Guided Injection (time frame: between three days to one week after the initial ultrasound-guided injection). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06503302, which also lists 5 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.