Clinical Research Directory

High-frequency Short-course Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Partial Rotator Cuff Tears: Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

This is a multicenter, randomized controlled clinical study exploring three different extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) regimens for patients with partial rotator cuff tears, a common cause of chronic shoulder pain and limited movement. Traditional ESWT uses a once-weekly treatment schedule over 7 weeks, which takes a long time and leads to low patient compliance. This study aims to test two new high-frequency, short-course ESWT protocols, compare their pain relief, shoulder function improvement, tendon healing effect, safety and treatment adherence with the conventional regimen, and finally establish a more efficient, patient-friendly standardized treatment plan for clinical use. A total of 300 eligible participants will be recruited from 10 top-tier hospitals across China and followed up for 12 months after treatment.