MODEL RELEASED. Lithotripsy treatment. Patient receiving lithotripsy treatment for a calcified shoulder joint. Lithotripsy is a non-invasive technique used to break up hard deposits in the body. It uses focused ultrasonic sound waves to pulverise the matter while leaving surrounding tissues undamaged. Calcification of the shoulder is where bone overgrows, or a tendon becomes bony. It can cause severe pain and greatly reduces the mobility of the joint.