Purpose
To evaluate the evolution of degenerative tendinopathy of the rotator cuff from the morphological (MRI images) and clinical point of view 4 years after treatment with US-guided PRP injection of the supraspinatus tendon,
compared with patients submitted to medical and physical therapy alone.
Methods and materials
We retrospectively evaluated 240 patients without history of trauma or surgery before the treatment and during the follow-up.
One hundred andtwenty were treated 4 years before with US-guided PRP injection of the supraspinatus tendon (group 1,
G1); 120 were submitted,
over a 4 year period,
to medical and physical therapy alone (group 2,
G2).
Two radiologists independently evaluated the MRI performed before and 4 years after the PRP injection (G1) or,
in the G2,
2 MRIs performed before and after 4 years of physical and...
Results
We recorded an improvement in the MRI appearance of the supraspinatus tendon in 31.7% of the G1 and only in 3.3% of G2.
Stationary findings were found in 48.3% (G1) and 34.2% (G2) of patients.
In the 20% (G1) and 62% (G2) of patients were described a worsening of the imaging findings.
About the clinical results,
this is the mean VAS improvement: 74.5% (G1) and 16.2% (G2); mean Constant improvement 56% (G1) and 9% (G2).
Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that intratendinous injection of PRP can modify the natural history of the rotator cuff tendinopathy compared to the Medical and Physical therapies
PRP injection infact can delay the degenerative changes of the tendons and this is documented by the pain relief and functional improvement.
MRI imaging findings are an important evidence of the effectiveness of this therapy,
because they confirm the clinical evidence.
In this study we can finc some limits:
1) Patients were not divided by age
2)...
References
-Kesikburun,
S.
et al.
(2013).Platelet-rich plasmainjections in the treatment ofchronic rotatorcufftendinopathy: arandomizedcontrolled trial with 1-year follow-up.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
-Effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma Injection for rotator cuff tendinopathy: a prospective Open-label study Scarpone M.
et al.
Glob Adv Health Med.
2013 Mar