Abstract
Background
Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a leading cause of shoulder pain and a significant source of disability. It is a common disorder, with its prevalence increasing substantially with age and affecting more than 50% of the general population by the age of 60 years
Objectives
Based on these facts, our study efforts seeked assessment of the role of ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection (PRP) in cases of rotator cuff tendinopathy.
Patients and Methods
Type of Study is single arm interventional study was conducted in Ain shams university hospitals in the period between October 2018 and March 2019, 15 patients were included in the study ranging from 25 to 60 years old, were referred to the Radiology department at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Study Setting: all US examinations were performed by the same senior musculoskeletal radiologist with a large experience in the musculoskeletal US at the radiology department of Ain Shams University hospitals. Study Period: 6 months for data collection.
Results
Our study showed remarkably noticeable change on comparing the pre-injection and post-injection SPADI Scoring system at 4,8,12 and 24 weeks. There is highly statistically significant pain and disability score and percentage improvement, yet on the other hand the radiological improvement shows no statistically significant difference found between baseline tendon thickness and its follow up at 4, 8 and 12 weeks while only there was statistically significant decrease in tendon thickness found at 24 weeks with p-value = 0.043.
Conclusion
The ultrasound-guided PRP injection for supraspinatus tendinopathy cases is a safe, cheap, and easily prepared outpatient procedure which showed competitive, promising, and well-proved results when compared to other modalities outcomes such as conventional surgeries, arthroscopic procedures, and physiotherapy. It deserves our attention to its value and efficacy for the sake of the patient as a minimally invasive procedure providing better quality of life.