Platelet-rich plasma versus steroid injection for subacromial impingement syndrome

Effectiveness of single intra-bursal injection of platelet-rich plasma against corticosteroid under ultrasonography guidance for shoulder impingement syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness of intra-bursal injection of single-dose platelet-rich plasma (PRP) against corticosteroids under ultrasonography guidance in shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted on 60 participants with a clinical diagnosis of SIS from a selected orthopedic clinic. Thirty participants in each arm were given a single dose of either PRP or triamcinolone acetonide into the subacromial sub-deltoid bursa (SASD) under ultrasonography guidance. The outcome variables assessed were the severity score of pain and the degree of shoulder abduction. Post-treatment follow-up was done in 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year.

RESULTS

At 1 week, the triamcinolone arm showed a statistically significant reduction of pain (p = 0.039) when compared to PRP. In the long term, PRP showed statistically significant improvement in shoulder abduction, compared to the triamcinolone injection (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

PRP and triamcinolone in the SASD bursa could be considered as safe treatment options for SIS under ultrasonography guidance. While triamcinolone was effective in short-term pain reduction, PRP was effective in long-term improvement in shoulder abduction.

Exercise therapy for tendinopathy: a mixed-methods evidence synthesis exploring feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness

Background

Tendinopathy is a common, painful and functionally limiting condition, primarily managed conservatively using exercise therapy.

Review questions

(i) What exercise interventions have been reported in the literature for which tendinopathies? (ii) What outcomes have been reported in studies investigating exercise interventions for tendinopathy? (iii) Which exercise interventions are most effective across all tendinopathies? (iv) Does type/location of tendinopathy or other specific covariates affect which are the most effective exercise therapies? (v) How feasible and acceptable are exercise interventions for tendinopathies?

Methods

A scoping review mapped exercise interventions for tendinopathies and outcomes reported to date (questions i and ii). Thereafter, two contingent systematic review workstreams were conducted. The first investigated a large number of studies and was split into three efficacy reviews that quantified and compared efficacy across different interventions (question iii), and investigated the influence of a range of potential moderators (question iv). The second was a convergent segregated mixed-method review (question v). Searches for studies published from 1998 were conducted in library databases (n = 9), trial registries (n = 6), grey literature databases (n = 5) and Google Scholar. Scoping review searches were completed on 28 April 2020 with efficacy and mixed-method search updates conducted on 19 January 2021 and 29 March 2021.

Results

Scoping review - 555 included studies identified a range of exercise interventions and outcomes across a range of tendinopathies, most commonly Achilles, patellar, lateral elbow and rotator cuff-related shoulder pain. Strengthening exercise was most common, with flexibility exercise used primarily in the upper limb. Disability was the most common outcome measured in Achilles, patellar and rotator cuff-related shoulder pain; physical function capacity was most common in lateral elbow tendinopathy. Efficacy reviews - 204 studies provided evidence that exercise therapy is safe and beneficial, and that patients are generally satisfied with treatment outcome and perceive the improvement to be substantial. In the context of generally low and very low-quality evidence, results identified that: (1) the shoulder may benefit more from flexibility (effect sizeResistance:Flexibility = 0.18 [95% CrI 0.07 to 0.29]) and proprioception (effect sizeResistance:Proprioception = 0.16 [95% CrI -1.8 to 0.32]); (2) when performing strengthening exercise it may be most beneficial to combine concentric and eccentric modes (effect sizeEccentricOnly:Concentric+Eccentric = 0.48 [95% CrI -0.13 to 1.1]; and (3) exercise may be most beneficial when combined with another conservative modality (e.g. injection or electro-therapy increasing effect size by ≈0.1 to 0.3). Mixed-method review - 94 studies (11 qualitative) provided evidence that exercise interventions for tendinopathy can largely be considered feasible and acceptable, and that several important factors should be considered when prescribing exercise for tendinopathy, including an awareness of potential barriers to and facilitators of engaging with exercise, patients' and providers' prior experience and beliefs, and the importance of patient education, self-management and the patient-healthcare professional relationship.

Limitations

Despite a large body of literature on exercise for tendinopathy, there are methodological and reporting limitations that influenced the recommendations that could be made.

Conclusion

The findings provide some support for the use of exercise combined with another conservative modality; flexibility and proprioception exercise for the shoulder; and a combination of eccentric and concentric strengthening exercise across tendinopathies. However, the findings must be interpreted within the context of the quality of the available evidence.

Future work

There is an urgent need for high-quality efficacy, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and qualitative research that is adequately reported, using common terminology, definitions and outcomes.

Study registration

This project is registered as DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-20-00175 (scoping review); PROSPERO CRD 42020168187 (efficacy reviews); https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/y7sk6/ (efficacy review 1); https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/eyxgk/ (efficacy review 2); https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/mx5pv/ (efficacy review 3); PROSPERO CRD42020164641 (mixed-method review).

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HTA programme and will be published in full in HTA Journal; Vol. 27, No. 24. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Role of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy

Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint, and rotator cuff (RC) pathologies are one of the main causes. The RC undergoes various tendinopathic and avascular changes during the aging process. Other degenerative changes affecting its healing potential make it an appealing target for biological agents. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has demonstrated the potential to deliver a high concentration of several growth factors and anti-inflammatory mediators, and its clinical use is mainly supported by experiments that demonstrated its positive effect on muscle, ligaments, and tendinous cells. This review aimed to specify the role of PRP and its future applications in RC tendinopathies based on the current clinical evidence. Due to the different characteristics and conflicting outcomes, clinicians should use PRP with moderate expectations until more consistent evidence is available. However, it is reasonable to consider PRP in patients with contraindications to corticosteroid injections or those with risk factors for inadequate healing. Its autologous origin makes it a safe treatment, and its characteristics make it a promising option for treating RC tendinopathy, but the efficacy has yet to be established.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection Can Be a Viable Alternative to Corticosteroid Injection for Conservative Treatment of Rotator Cuff Disease: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PURPOSE

To explore whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection can be a viable alternative to corticosteroid (CS) injection for conservative treatment of rotator cuff disease.

METHODS

This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from January 1, 1990, to March 20, 2022, for English-language randomized controlled trials that compared PRP and CS injections for patients with rotator cuff disease. Two evaluators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the level of evidence and methodologic quality of the enrolled studies. The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan software (version 5.3.3).

RESULTS

Thirteen nonsurgical randomized controlled trials with 725 patients were included. Compared with CS, PRP provided statistically worse short-term (<2 months) changes in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) assessment scores, Simple Shoulder Test scores, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire scores but provided better medium-term (2-6 months) changes in Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores, as well as long-term (≥6 months) changes in Constant-Murley scores, ASES scores, and Simple Shoulder Test scores. No statistically significant differences regarding pain reduction were found between the 2 groups. PRP injections led to worse short-term changes in forward flexion and internal rotation but better medium-term changes in forward flexion and external rotation. PRP showed significantly lower rates of post-injection failure (requests for subsequent injections or surgical intervention prior to 12 months) than CS. No outcome reached the minimal clinically important difference. After sensitivity analyses excluding studies with substantial clinical and/or methodologic heterogeneity, PRP showed better medium-term changes in ASES scores and visual analog scale scores and long-term changes in visual analog scale scores that reached the minimal clinically important difference.

CONCLUSIONS

Without the drawbacks of CS injection, PRP injection is not worse than CS injection in terms of pain relief and function recovery at any time point during follow-up. PRP injection may reduce rates of subsequent injection or surgery, and it might provide better improvements in pain and function in the medium to long term. PRP injection can be a viable alternative to CS injection for conservative treatment of rotator cuff disease.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

Platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injections in the management of patients with rotator cuff disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an alternative to corticosteroid (CS) injections in managing rotator cuff disease. This meta-analysis investigated differences between PRP and CS for function and pain scores in significance and minimal clinical important difference (MCID). A literature search of Ovid Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, Epub, and Scopus was conducted from inception to October 28, 2021. Eligible studies reported patients older than 18 years with a diagnosis of rotator cuff disease. This review was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021278740). Twelve studies met eligibility criteria (n = 639) of patients receiving either PRP or CS. At short-term follow-up, a difference favored CS compared to PRP in baseline change for disability of arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score (MD = -5.08, 95% CI: -8.00, -2.15; p = 0.0007; I²  = 0%) and simple shoulder test (SST) (MD = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.33, 2.18; p = 0.008; I²  = 0%). At intermediate follow-up, a difference favored PRP to CS baseline change of the DASH score (MD = 3.41, 95% CI: 0.67, 6.15; p = 0.01; I²  = 0%). At medium-term, a difference favored PRP to CS baseline change of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder (ASES) score (MD = -4.42, 95% CI: -8.16, -0.67; p = 0.02; I²  = 0%). Both treatments achieved individual MCID for each score. Despite favoring CS at short-term follow-up and PRP at intermediate- and medium-term follow-up, functional and pain scores did not demonstrate any clinical difference between the two treatment modalities in management of rotator cuff disease at all follow-up periods.

Platelet-rich Plasma in the Management of Shoulder Disorders: Basic Science and Implications Beyond the Rotator Cuff

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous mixture produced by centrifugal separation of whole blood. Understanding the clinical efficacy of PRP remains a challenge in the field of sports medicine, including the treatment of various shoulder conditions. Animal studies have examined the biologic actions of PRP on the rotator cuff tendon and shoulder capsule. Human studies have reported the outcomes of PRP in the management of subacromial impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder, and glenohumeral osteoarthritis. These studies highlight the role of PRP in the nonsurgical management of these conditions and its utilization in the perioperative setting to augment tissue healing and optimize the surgical outcomes. The role of PRP as an adjunct therapy in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair has been in the spotlight during the last decade; however, a limited number of studies have examined the role of PRP in the management of non-rotator cuff shoulder conditions. This article aims to provide an overview of the biologic actions of PRP on shoulder tissues and to summarize the outcomes of PRP injection in patients with rotator cuff and non-rotator cuff disease of the shoulder. We sought to organize the existing literature and to provide recommendations on the use of PRP in various shoulder conditions, based on the existing evidence.

Clinical efficacy of different shoulder joint drug injections for rotator cuff injuries: A network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Rotator cuff injury is a common clinical disorder of the musculoskeletal system. It is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain and shoulder joint dysfunction. Intra-articular injection therapy is one of the common conservative treatments for rotator cuff injury in clinical practice, but scholars have been controversial about the different drugs used for injection therapy and their clinical effectiveness, and there is no complete agreement on the choice of different injectables, and the existing original studies are mostly direct comparisons in 1 arm, lacking indirect comparisons, making it difficult to have a clear and comprehensive understanding.

OBJECTIVE

A network Meta-analysis was used to comprehensively compare the effectiveness of drug injection therapies for rotator cuff injuries.

METHODS

The PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, Chinese national knowledge infrastructure, Chinese BioMedical Literature on disc, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wan-Fang databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of steroid injections for the comparative treatment of rotator cuff injury for the period April 19, 2013 to April 19, 2022 (the last decade). Two investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and evaluated the quality of the literature in parallel. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software to compare the differences in efficacy of each treatment measure and rank the efficacy using the ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) as the effect indicator.

RESULTS

10 RCTs with a total of 861 patients with rotator cuff injury were included, involving 4 therapeutic measures: corticosteroid injection therapy (COR), platelet-rich plasma injection therapy (PRP), Hyaluronic acid injection therapy (HA), and prolotherapy therapy (PRO).Meta-analysis results showed that the ranking results of the 4 therapeutic measures were: corticosteroid injection + hyaluronic acid injection > platelet-rich plasma injection + corticosteroid injection > corticosteroid injection > platelet-rich plasma injection > PRO > platelet-rich plasma injection + hyaluronic acid injection > hyaluronic acid injection.

CONCLUSION

we recommend that corticosteroid injections combined with hyaluronic acid injections can be used for the non-surgical conservative clinical management of rotator cuff injuries.

Platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injections for rotator cuff tendinopathy: a comparative study with up to 18 months follow-up

Background

Given the complications involved in corticosteroid (CS) injections, subacromial platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections may provide a valid alternative to CS in the treatment of rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed a total of 98 patients affected by RC tendinopathy who were treated with either subacromial injection of PRP or CS. The PRP group received three injections of autologous PRP at 2 weeks interval, and the CS group received one injection of CS. The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) was the primary outcome measure, while the secondary outcome measures were the visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM), and need for cuff repair surgery, which were analyzed at intervals of 6, 12, and 18 months.

Results

A total of 75 patients were included in the analysis (PRP, n=35; CS, n=40). The mean follow-up for PRP was 21.1±8.7 months and for CS was 33.6±16.3 months (p<0.001). Both groups showed improvement in WORC, VAS, and ROM. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in any of the primary (WORC) or secondary outcomes over 6, 12, and 18 months (all p>0.05). No adverse events were detected.

Conclusions

Both treatments improved patient symptoms, but neither resulted in a significantly better outcome in this series of patients. PRP can be a safe and feasible alternative to CS, even at long-term follow-up, to reduce local and systemic effects involved with CS injections.

WITHDRAWN: Higher coracoacromial ligament thickness, critical shoulder angle and acromion index are associated with rotator cuff tears in patients who undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effect of several shoulder anatomical parameters in the development of rotator cuff tear (RCT).

METHODS

Between 2014 and 2018, all consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair due to full-thickness rotator cuff tear with a minimum 2-year follow-up were identified. Inclusion criteria were (1) age>18 years, (2) patients with degenerative RCT, (3) full-thickness RCTs, (4) patients underwent arthroscopic RCR due to unresponsive conservative treatment, (5) minimum 2-year follow-up period. Exclusion criteria were traumatic RCT, history of previous shoulder surgery, shoulder deformity, neurologic or neuromuscular dysfunction, glenohumeral and/or acromioclavicular joint arthritis, cuff-tear arthropathy, history of fracture around shoulder and inadequate or low-quality magnetic resonance images (MRI). Acromion index (AI), Critical shoulder angle (CSA), Coracoacromial ligament (CAL) thickness, Subacromial space (SS) width, Acromiohumeral distance (AHD), CAL/SS ratio, Lateral acromial angle (LAA) and glenoid version angle (GVA) parameters were measured on MRI. Intra- and interobserver reliability were measured. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between anatomical parameters and RCT development. Receiver operating curves (ROC) were created for independent risk factors. The correlation between measurement parameters were evaluated.

RESULTS

There were 1029 patients met the inclusion criteria. After exclusions, 437 patients were included. Age- and sex matched 437 patients without any shoulder pathologies were selected as control group. There was almost perfect intra- (ICC>0.85) and interobserver (ICC> 0.81) reliability regarding all measurement parameters. There was significant difference between RCT group and control group regarding AI (0.67±0.07 vs. 0.61±0.08, p<0.001), CSA (33.58±3.93 vs. 31.50±4.01, p<0.001), CAL thickness (1.81±0.64 vs. 1.53±0.50, p<0.001), CAL/SS ratio (0.29±0.14 vs. 0.23±0.10, p<0.001) and GVA (-16.69±6.69 vs. -15.37±5.95, p=0.002) parameters. AI (OR: 1.998, P<0.001), CAL thickness (OR: 2.801, p<0.000) and CSA (OR: 3.055, p<0.001) were found to be independently associated with the increased risk of RCT development. Area under curve (AUC) of the AI, CSA, and CAL thickness were 71.4%, 71.3%, and 70.2%, respectively. Cut-off values for AI, CSA, and CAL thickness were 0.62, 36.4° and 1.47 mm, respectively. There was significantly positive strong correlation between AI and CSA (p<0.001, r=0.814).

CONCLUSION

Higher AI, CSA and CAL thickness independently associated with full-thickness RCT development. In clinical practice, these parameters may be useful in the prediction of rotator cuff rupture.

Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tears with platelet rich plasma: a prospective study with 2 year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Surgical treatment of full-thickness rotator cuff (RC) tears is associated with generally good results. There is no consensus regarding treatment of partial thickness tears that fail conservative treatment. The purpose of this study was to look at the efficacy and confirm the safety of dual injection PRP into the shoulder of patients with rotator cuff pathology who have failed conservative treatment with followup to two years.

METHODS

Seventy-one shoulders with MRI confirmed, rotator cuff pathology who failed conservative treatment, had dual PRP injection into the rotator cuff. Global improvement, Quick DASH and VAS scores were collected at 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment and comparison of means was used to analyze changes.

RESULTS

No adverse events were seen in any patient. Based on global rating scores positive results were seen in 77.9 % of patients at 6 months, 71.6 % at 1 year, and 68.8 % of patients at 2 years. Mean VAS scores improved from 50.2 [CI 44.4-56.0] pre-injection to 26.2 [CI 19.5-32.9] at 6 months, 22.4[CI 16.1-28.7] at 1 year and 18.2 [CI 12.3-24.1] at 2 years (p < 0.0001 for all). The mean Q- DASH scores (0-100, 100 worse) improved from 39.2 [CI 34.3-44.1] for all patients before treatment to 20.7[CI 15.0-26.4] at 6 months, 18.0[CI 12.9-23.1] at 1 year, and 13.8 [CI 8.4-18.8] at 2 years (p < 0.0001 for all). No patient with partial tear had clinical evidence of progression to full thickness tear. When separated into subgroups based on rotator cuff status, all subgroups showed improvement. Patients in the > 50 % partial tear group had the best overall improvement based on Global Rating scores while those in the tendinitis group had the poorest outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

PRP injection is a safe and effective treatment for RC cuff injury in patients who have failed conservative treatment of activity modification and physical therapy without deterioration of results two years after treatment. Better results are obtained with greater structural tendon damage than in shoulders with inflammation without structural damage.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This is not a clinical trial.

Non-operative orthobiologic use for rotator cuff disorders and glenohumeral osteoarthritis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Shoulder pain from rotator cuff pathology and glenohumeral osteoarthritis is a common entity encountered in musculoskeletal practices. Orthobiologic agents are being increasingly used as a treatment option and understanding their safety and efficacy is necessary.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the available evidence for orthobiologic use in rotator cuff and glenohumeral pathology.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken following PRISMA guidelines. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies evaluating non-operative treatment with prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), or medicinal signaling cells (MSCs) for rotator cuff pathology and glenohumeral osteoarthritis were included. Bias risk assessments used were the Cochrane tool and Newcastle-Ottawa score.

RESULTS

The search yielded 852 potential articles, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria with a breakdown of 5 prolotherapy, 13 PRP, and 2 MSC. Sixteen studies were RCTs and 4 were cohort studies. Six studies were deemed "low risk of bias or good quality". Efficacy results were mixed, and no serious adverse events were reported from orthobiologic treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Orthobiologics offer a relatively safe management option with inconclusive evidence for or against its use for rotator cuff pathology. No studies on glenohumeral osteoarthritis met the inclusion criteria. Adoption of standardized preparation reporting and consistent use of functional outcome measures is imperative for future studies to consider.

Platelet-rich plasma for rotator cuff tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Shoulder rotator cuff tendinopathy is a common debilitating condition that affects a person daily function and the quality of life. Despite its frequent occurrence, the best treatment is still inconclusive. This review assessed the clinical effect of platelet-rich plasma injection for rotator cuff tendinopathy. A systematic literature search was conducted using CINAHL, Medline, SCOPUS, SPORTSDiscus and Web of Science databases to retrieve articles published in peer-reviewed journals until December 2020. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which compared clinical effects of PRP injection to the usual care among adults diagnosed with rotator cuff conditions were reviewed. The main outcomes of interest were changes in shoulder pain symptoms and shoulder functions. All variables were analysed using random effects meta-analyses. Eight RCTs were reviewed in this study. The risk of bias for randomization was low for 6 RCTs, one study had unclear risk and the other was a high risk. Studies vary on the PRP techniques including preparation and injections. Moreover, the control intervention also differs. Four studies compared PRP with normal saline injection while in the remaining 4 RCTs the control intervention were rehabilitation program and dry needling. Meta-analysis of selected studies showed that PRP injection was safe and effective intervention for long-term pain control and shoulder function in patients with RC disorders.

Management Options for Shoulder Impingement Syndrome in Athletes: Insights and Future Directions

Athletes participating in overhead sports are at particularly high risk of shoulder impingement syndrome. Subcoracoid impingement is defined as impingement of the anterior soft tissues of the shoulder between the coracoid process and the lesser tuberosity. Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) occurs due to extrinsic compression of the rotator cuff between the humeral head and coracoacromial structures or intrinsic degeneration of the supraspinatus tendon and subsequent superior migration of the humerus. Internal impingement is a major cause of shoulder pain in overhead athletes, and it occurs due to repetitive impingement of the articular surface of the rotator cuff with the glenoid during maximum abduction and external rotation of the arm. When examining athletes with suspected impingement of the shoulder, it is important to discuss the sport-specific motion that regenerates the symptoms and perform a combination of physical examination tests to improve the diagnostic accuracy. Radiographic evaluation is recommended, and the extent of soft tissue abnormalities can be assessed on ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder. Management of shoulder impingement syndrome can be conservative or operative, based on the severity and chronicity of symptoms and the associated structural abnormalities. This review provides an update on the management of SIS, subcoracoid impingement, and internal impingement in the athletic population.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tCDS) after subacromial injections in patients with subacromial pain syndrome: a randomized controlled pilot study

BACKGROUND

Subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS) is a common complaint in orthopaedics. Subacromial corticosteroid injections (CSI) can relieve pain in the short term. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) has been used for symptomatic pain relief in a variety of chronic pain conditions. The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether the application a-tDCS could enhance the symptomatic relief provided by CSI in patients affected by SAPS.

METHODS

Thirty-eight participants (18 to 65-year-old) suffering from SAPS were recruited to have a CSI and randomly allocated to receive, 1 weeks post CSI, real a-tDCS (r-tDCS), sham tDCS (s-tDCS) or no intervention (Control). Upper limb function was measured 1 week prior to the CSI, at the 2- and 4-week follow-ups using self-administered questionnaires and physical measures. Self-reported pain and activity during each day were logged by the participants using visual analog scales (VAS). Differences between groups were tested using repeated-measures ANOVAs.

RESULTS

Pain VAS and the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scale (SANE) showed significant improvement from baseline 2 weeks and 4 weeks after CSI in all groups (p < 0.05). There were no significant group X time interaction 2 weeks following tDCS treatment in any of the variables.

CONCLUSION

All groups showed significant improvement in pain VAS and SANE scores following the CSI. One session of a-tDCS treatment 2 weeks following CSI did not result in any additive or potentializing effects when compared to a s-tDCS or a control group.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03967574 . Registered 30 May 2019 - Retrospectively registered.

Platelet-rich plasma injection vs corticosteroid injection for conservative treatment of rotator cuff lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To explore the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection regarding functional recovery, pain relief, and range of motion (ROM) of shoulder compared with the corticosteroid injection in patients with rotator cuff lesions treated non-operatively.

METHODS

An electronic literature search was performed by 2 authors in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant randomized controlled trial (RCTs) that were published up to July 20, 2020. The quality of the included RCTs was evaluated using the approach recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to calculate the pooled effect sizes.

RESULTS

Six RCTs were included in this systematic review. Meta-analysis revealed that corticosteroid injection yielded statistically significant superior functional recovery (SMD = -0.80; 95% CI, -1.42 to -0.18; P = .01) and pain relief (MD = 1.59; 95% CI, 0.30-2.89; P = .02) compared with PRP injection for rotator cuff lesions during the short-term follow-up period. However, at the medium-term and long-term follow-up, no statistically significant difference was identified between the 2 groups. Regarding the ROM of shoulder, no statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups during the whole follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

The current clinical evidence revealed short-term efficacy of corticosteroid injection and no significant medium- to long-term difference between corticosteroid and PRP injection in the treatment of rotator cuff lesions. Additional studies with longer follow-ups, larger sample sizes, and more rigorous designs are needed to draw more reliable and accurate conclusions.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nonoperative Platelet-Rich Plasma Shoulder Injections for Rotator Cuff Pathology

BACKGROUND

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been introduced to augment the recovery of patients with shoulder pathology. Although multiple studies have been published, no large-scale trials or meta-analyses have assessed the efficacy of nonoperative shoulder PRP injection.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of nonoperative PRP shoulder injection in rotator cuff pathology for pain as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) and range of motion (ROM).

DESIGN

Two authors independently screened the Medline and Cochrane databases to include prospective studies that reported VAS and ROM outcomes for nonoperative shoulder PRP injections for rotator cuff pathology. Study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane Collaboration risk-of-bias tool and modified Downs and Black checklist. Subsequent meta-analysis was performed to determine the effect of nonoperative PRP injections on pain and ROM 3 to 12 months after intervention.

RESULTS

Six studies met systematic review criteria. The included studies used different PRP formulations (concentration, leukocyte count), injection protocols (approach, injection number), and varied study designs. Three studies concluded that PRP provided no significant benefit for pain and ROM when compared to physical therapy. Within-group meta-analysis of six fairly heterogeneous studies (I² 77.8%) demonstrated a statistically significant (P < .001) improvement in pain 3 to 12 months after PRP injection. Within-group meta-analysis for four studies for shoulder flexion and abduction was found to be too heterogeneous to derive meaningful results.

CONCLUSION

There is a limited quantity of high-quality studies that assess the efficacy of nonoperative PRP shoulder injection for pain and ROM. Systematic review of PRP injections did not demonstrate an improvement in pain or ROM compared to physical therapy. Although within-group meta-analysis of nonoperative PRP statistically showed that nonoperative PRP improved pain, the lack of adequate negative controls precludes the ability to conclude whether improvements were due to natural recovery or nonoperative PRP.

Post-Procedure Protocols Following Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been increasingly studied as a treatment for tendinopathy. Many factors may influence outcomes after PRP, including different protocols following administration. It was hypothesized that there would be heterogeneity in post-PRP protocols.

LITERATURE SURVEY

A systematized review of the literature on post-PRP protocols for tendinopathy was conducted using an electronic search of MEDLINE and Embase databases through September 2018.

METHODOLOGY

After duplicates were removed, English language articles involving adult patients who received PRP for tendinopathy were reviewed. Exclusion criteria included studies with fewer than 10 patients, PRP used to treat pathology other than tendinopathy, multiple protocols in one study, and surgical settings. Protocol specifics were extracted including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) restrictions before and after injection, postinjection restrictions on movement and weight bearing, use of orthoses, activity modifications, and postinjection rehabilitation protocols. Given limitations in the data, a meta-analysis was not performed.

SYNTHESIS

Eighty-four studies met inclusion criteria. Following PRP injection, weight-bearing restrictions were mentioned rarely (12% of protocols). Orthosis use was uncommon overall (18%) but more common in Achilles tendinopathy protocols (53%). The majority of protocols instituted a period of stretching (51%) and strengthening (54%). Stretching programs generally began 2-7 days following injection, and strengthening programs began within 2-3 weeks. Preinjection NSAID restriction was reported rarely (20%), whereas postinjection NSAID restriction was more common (56%), with a typical restriction of greater than 2 weeks (38%). Return to play or full activity was reported in 42% of protocols, most commonly at 4-6 weeks following injection.

CONCLUSION

Although the clinical effectiveness of PRP remains controversial, even less is known about the effect of post-PRP protocols, which may affect the outcomes attributed to PRP itself. No studies directly compare post-PRP protocols, and the protocols studied demonstrate substantial heterogeneity. Some consensus regarding post-PRP protocols exists, although the rationale for these recommendations is limited.

Platelet-Rich Plasma and Corticosteroid in the Treatment of Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome: Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective  This research aims to study the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of patients with rotator cuff impingement syndrome compared with the treatment with subacromial injection of corticosteroids.

Methods  This is a double-blind, randomized, comparative clinical trial. The patients were clinically evaluated with the use of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) outcome measure, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale and Constant-Murley shoulder outcome score (CMS) on the day of application, and then again after 1, 3 and 6 months.

Results  No statistically significant differences were found ( p  < 0.05) when comparing the results of the DASH outcome measure, UCLA shoulder rating scale and CMS of the two groups at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment with subacromial injection. After the treatment, both groups showed a significant improvement in the DASH and UCLA scores ( p  < 0.05) when compared with the baseline. However, the CMS at 6 months after treatment with steroids was lower than the baseline.

Concusions  These findings suggest that PRP is a safe treatment and can be a useful tool in the therapeutic arsenal against of the rotator cuff diseases, for there was no significant difference between the subacromial use of PRP and corticosteroids.

Prospective Clinical Research of the Efficacy of Platelet-rich Plasma in the Outpatient-based Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy

Background

The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of the control group and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) group among the patients who failed to respond to conservative treatment as outpatient-based therapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy, and to compare the clinical results of leukocyte-poor (LP) PRP and leukocyte-rich (LR) PRP.

Methods

Inclusion criteria are (1) over 18-year-old, (2) patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy, no rotator cuff tear by radiologic diagnosis (ultrasonography or magnetic resonance imaging) within the last 3 months, and (3) not effective to conservative treatment for more than 1 month. Of the final 60 subjects, 33 patients in the exercise treatment group and 27 patients in the PRP injection group (LP-PRP, 13; LR-PRP, 14) were included. Clinical evaluation was carried out by assessing the outcomes of treatment using the Numeric Rating Scale pain score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score, and the Constant score at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after the procedure.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in ΔASES_3months (ASES_3months-ASES_first) score between the control and PRP groups (p=0.006). However, there was no statistical significance between LP-PRP and LR-PRP groups (p>0.05).

Conclusions

This study showed that PRP injection was more effective than exercise therapy for the first 3 months. However, there was no difference between the LP-PRP group and the LR-PRP group. Regardless of the type of PRP, clinical application of PRP injection in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy seems to be effective in early treatment.

Allogenic Pure Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy for Rotator Cuff Disease: A Bench and Bed Study

BACKGROUND

Although platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a popular option for rotator cuff disease, the underlying mechanism of PRP and its clinical indications are unclear. Further, some kinds of PRP might be detrimental to patients. Allogenic PRP prepared through a standardized process and fully characterized could eliminate variations in PRP as well as uncertainties regarding its use in each patient, which could provide clues about its mechanism of action and indications for its use.

PURPOSE

To assess the effects of pure PRP on tenocytes with or without inflammation in an in vitro study and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a fully characterized pure PRP injection in patients with rotator cuff disease in a clinical study.

STUDY DESIGN

Controlled laboratory study and cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

For the in vitro study, tenocytes were enzymatically isolated and cultured from patients with rotator cuff tear and treated with or without interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and PRP. Gene expression and protein synthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, enzymes and their inhibitors, matrix synthesis, and cell viability were evaluated. For the clinical study, a total of 17 patients with rotator cuff disease received ultrasonography-guided subacromial PRP injection and were followed for 6 months. Pain, range of motion, muscle strength, shoulder function, and overall satisfaction in patients were compared with the results in a propensity score-matched control group who received corticosteroid (triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg).

RESULTS

PRP induced inflammation in the absence of inflammation and ameliorated inflammation in IL-1β-induced tendinopathic conditions by regulation of cytokines such as IL-1β, cyclooxygenase 2, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase 1, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and downstream matrix metalloproteinases. No general or local adverse events were noted with regard to allogenic PRP injection. Whereas steroid injection showed earlier improvement in some kinds of pain and functional scores, PRP generally showed comparable effects with steroid injection in all clinical outcomes at 6 months.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that allogenic pure PRP had pleiotropic effects on tenocytes depending on inflammation and that it did not cause adverse events but rather decreased pain and improved shoulder function to a degree comparable with steroid injection in patients with rotator cuff disease.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Allogenic PRP could be a treatment option for rotator cuff disease.

Platelet-rich plasma and the shoulder: clinical indications and outcomes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The orthopedic community has seen a rapid rise in the clinical use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the management of shoulder pathologies over the past decade. The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature regarding the indications and outcomes of PRP for the surgical and non-surgical management of common shoulder pathologies, including rotator cuff tears.

RECENT FINDINGS

Multiple studies have been published recently regarding the use of PRP for the operative and non-operative treatment of rotator cuff tears. There has been less research published on the use of PRP in the management of other conditions of the shoulder. Despite attempts to standardize and classify PRP formulations, there remains great variation in the inter- and intra-subjection composition, preparation, and administration techniques of PRP, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the utility and effectiveness of this biologic treatment as reported by Mazzocca et al. (J Bone Joint Surg Am. 94(4):308-16, 2012). Recent literature has shown equivocal to minor benefit of PRP use for shoulder pain, function, and healing. While few complications have been reported and PRP administration appears to carry little risk to the patient, the body of literature is currently inconclusive regarding the clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness of PRP in the treatment of shoulder pathology. As for PRP use specifically as an adjunct to surgical rotator cuff repairs, there is no clear consensus on its effectiveness in either clinical or structural outcomes. To further delineate the efficacy of PRP for shoulder pathology, it is essential that more double-blinded, randomized controlled investigations with large sample sizes and standardized PRP preparations be performed.

Comparative Effectiveness of Injection Therapies in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review, Pairwise and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness of diverse injections in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy using pairwise and network meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies published up to September 31, 2017.

STUDY SELECTION

We included all published or unpublished randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing diverse injections including corticosteroid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and prolotherapy in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Among the 1495 records screened, 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis.

DATA EXTRACTION

The quality of RCTs was assessed with Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool by 2 independent raters. The primary outcome was pain reduction, and the secondary outcome was functional improvement.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used for pairwise and network meta-analysis. In pairwise meta-analysis, corticosteroid was more effective only in the short term in both pain reduction and functional improvement. Network meta-analysis indicated that prolotherapy significantly reduced pain compared with placebo in the long term (over 24wk; SMD: 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88-3.38); meanwhile PRP significantly improved shoulder function compared with placebo in the long term (over 24wk; SMD: 0.44; 95% CI, 0.05-0.84).

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy, corticosteroid plays a role in the short term (3-6wk) but not in long-term (over 24wk) pain reduction and functional improvement. By contrast, PRP and prolotherapy may yield better outcomes in the long term (over 24wk). On account of heterogeneity, interpreting these results with caution is warranted.