Could a One-Week shock wave treatment fix shoulder tears?
NCT ID NCT07673055
First seen Jun 29, 2026 · Last updated Jun 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares three different schedules of shock wave therapy for people with partial rotator cuff tears, a common cause of shoulder pain and limited movement. The goal is to see if a high-frequency, short-course treatment (daily sessions for one week) works as well as or better than the traditional once-weekly sessions over seven weeks. Three hundred participants from ten hospitals in China will be followed for a year to measure pain relief, shoulder function, and tendon healing.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- extracorporeal shock wave therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a quicker, more convenient treatment option for partial rotator cuff tears, reducing treatment time from weeks to just one week.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial comparing different schedules, not a new drug. The therapy may not prove superior to the standard approach, and individual results may vary.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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30 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 30-70 years, male or female * MRI- or high-resolution ultrasound-confirmed partial-thickness rotator cuff tear (predominantly supraspinatus) or small full-thickness tear without retraction or displacement * Shoulder pain duration ≥3 months with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score ≥4 (0-10 scale) * Willing and able to provide written informed consent and comply with the study protocol Exclusion Criteria: * Large or massive full-thickness rotator cuff tear, tear with Grade II retraction or greater, or presence of a greater tuberosity bone cyst * Severe muscle fatty infiltration (Goutallier grade ≥3) on MRI * Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c \>7.5%), hypothyroidism, or heavy smoking (≥20 pack-years) * Received local injection therapy (e.g., corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma) to the affected shoulder within 4 weeks prior to enrollment * Concurrent shoulder pathologies including glenohumeral osteoarthritis, adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), or shoulder instability * Systemic diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), bleeding disorders, or coagulopathy * Pregnancy or lactation * Contraindications to ESWT (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, malignancy at treatment site) * Inability to complete treatment or follow-up schedule
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.