Usefulness of combined handheld ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided injection in adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: A prospective, randomized single blind-pilot study

Is platelet-rich plasma a new solution for shoulder adhesive capsulitis? A systematic scoping review of the literature

Background

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has shown promising results for adhesive shoulder capsulitis (AC) in pre-clinical models. The aim of this review is to investigate the clinical outcomes of using PRP in AC.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a systematic scoping review of the literature using bibliographic databases from inception until the 9th of January 2022 [PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CENTRAL]. Randomized studies were included if they investigated the use of PRP in human patients with a diagnosis of AC. Authors performed individual study quality assessments using the RoB 2 tool.

Results

We screened a total of 470 results and 6 were included in the final synthesis. Studies included data of 578 patients with 263 patients receiving PRP (45.5%). All studies used PRP as part of non-operative treatment. PRP was compared to another intervention in all six studies. Four of these studies found PRP to be more effective. No major adverse effects were reported in any study.

Conclusion

PRP is a safe treatment option that can be added to the investigative treatment arsenal of AC. Despite showing some favorable results, several limitations and patient-centered questions remain to be addressed by future studies.

Level of Evidence

IV.

Combined Ultrasound and Fluoroscopy versus Ultrasound versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Caudal Epidural Steroid Injection for the Treatment of Unilateral Lower Lumbar Radicular Pain: A Retrospective Comparative Study

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the mid-term effectiveness and safety of a combined ultrasound (US) and fluoroscopy (FL)-guided approach in comparison to US-guided and FL-guided caudal epidural steroid injections (CESI) for treating unilateral lower lumbar radicular pain. Materials and Methods: A total of 154 patients who underwent CESI between 2018 and 2022 were included. Patients were categorized into three groups based on the guidance method: combined US and FL (n = 51), US-guided (n = 51), and FL-guided (n = 52). The study design was retrospective case-controlled, utilizing patient charts and standardized forms to assess clinical outcomes, adverse events, complications during the procedures. Results: In all groups, Oswestry Disability Index and Verbal Numeric Scale scores improved at 1, 3, and 6 months after the last injection, with no significant differences between groups (p < 0.05). The treatment success rate at all time points was also similar among the groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that injection method, cause, sex, age, number of injections, and pain duration did not independently predict treatment success. Blood was aspirated before injection in 2% (n = 1), 13.5% (n = 7), and 4% (n = 2) of patients in the combined US and FL groups, FL-guided groups, and US-guided groups, respectively. Intravascular contrast spread was detected in one patient in the combined method groups and seven in the FL-guided groups. Conclusions: When comparing pain reduction and functional improvement, there was no significant difference between the three methods. The combined method took less time compared to using FL alone. The combined approach also showed a lower occurrence of intravascular injection compared to using FL alone. Moreover, blood vessels at the injection site can be identified with an ultrasound using the combined method. Given these advantages, it might be advisable to prioritize the combined US- and FL-guided therapy when administering CESI for patients with unilateral lumbar radicular pain.

Corticosteroid Injection Methods for Frozen Shoulder: A Network Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy of corticosteroid (CS) injection methods for frozen shoulder.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched up to May 6, 2023.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated CS injection methods for frozen shoulder were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data were extracted independently by 2 authors. Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool.

DATA SYNTHESIS

A random-effects network meta-analysis was performed within a frequentist framework. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach. A total of 66 RCTs involving 4491 patients were included. For short-term outcomes, 4-site injection (vs placebo [PLA]: standardized mean difference [SMD]=-2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.81 to -1.59 in pain; SMD=2.02; 95% CI, 1.39-2.65 in global function) was the most effective (low certainty). Rotator interval injection was the optimal treatment with moderate to high certainty (vs PLA: SMD=-1.07, 95% CI, -1.51 to -0.64 in pain; SMD=0.94, 95% CI, 0.49-1.40 in global function). For midterm outcomes, 4-site injection was most effective (vs PLA: SMD=-1.71, 95% CI, -2.41 to -1.01 in pain; SMD=2.22, 95% CI, 1.34-3.09 in global function; low certainty). Distension via rotator interval (D-RI) was the optimal treatment with moderate to high certainty (vs PLA: SMD=-1.10, 95% CI, -1.69 to -0.51 in pain; SMD=1.46, 95% CI, 0.73-2.20 in global function). Distension and intra-articular injection via anterior or posterior approaches produced effects equivalent to those of rotator interval injection and D-RI.

CONCLUSIONS

Rotator interval injection, distension, and intra-articular injection had equivalent effects on symptom relief. More RCTs are required to validate the superiority of multisite injections.