[Calcifications after operations of the subacromial space].

Objective: Although there are several studies on the development of periarticular calcifications after different operation procedures of the joints, such calcifications have only seldomly been described in connection with operations in the subacromial space. Therefore, the present study was aimed at investigating the incidence of periarticular calcifications after operations in the subacromial space and to assess their clinical relevance.

Patients And Methods: In a retrospective study we examined 152 patients (51 female, 101 male) who had been operated on for primary shoulder impingement by open or arthroscopic procedures. The average follow-up time was 32.5 months. The assessment of the outcome of the treatment was performed using the criteria of the Constant score, different shoulder tests, a visual-analog scale for the evaluation of pain, and by evaluation of radiographs.

Results: Our study revealed good clinical results in the operative treatment of different stages of primary shoulder impingement and thus confirmed the results of similar studies before. However, in 25.6% of all patients we found periarticular calcifications. Hereby, calcifications occurred significantly more often after open procedures (56.8%) than after arthroscopic procedures (12.9%). There was non correlation between the occurrence of such calcifications and the stage of the disease. Moreover, comparison of the clinical results and the Constant scores at follow-up did not reveal any differences between patients with and without periarticular calcifications.

Conclusion: Our study shows that the presence of periarticular calcifications after operations in the subacromial space is not necessarily associated with clinical symptoms. Therefore, routine prophylactic measurements against such calcifications are not justified.