Comparison of the therapeutic effects of ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma injection and dry needling in rotator cuff disease: a randomized controlled trial

Rha, D. W.

Park, G. Y.

Kim, Y. K.

Kim, M. T.

Lee, S. C.

Clinical rehabilitation

2013

27(2)

113-122

RCT

Shoulder Pain

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

RCT

Acu Versus CAM Control

Dry Needling, With Non-Acupuncture Needle

CAM Control

Supraspinatus Tendon Lesion

Rotator Cuff Tendonosis

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection

Restricted Modalities, Acupuncture Only

Fixed Acupuncture Protocol

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of platelet-rich plasma injection with those of dry needling on shoulder pain and function in patients with rotator cuff disease. DESIGN: A single-centre, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study. SETTING: University rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-nine patients with a supraspinatus tendon lesion (tendinosis or a partial tear less than 1.0 cm, but not a complete tear) who met the inclusion criteria recruited between June 2010 and February 2011. INTERVENTION: Two dry needling procedures in the control group and two platelet-rich plasma injections in the experimental group were applied to the affected shoulder at four-week intervals using ultrasound guidance. MEASUREMENTS: The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, passive range of motion of the shoulder, a physician global rating scale at the six-month follow-up, adverse effects monitoring and an ultrasound measurement were used as outcome measures. RESULTS: The clinical effect of the platelet-rich plasma injection was superior to the dry needling from six weeks to six months after initial injection (P < 0.05). At six months the mean Shoulder Pain and Disability Index was 17.7 +/- 3.7 in the platelet-rich plasma group versus 29.5 +/- 3.8 in the dry needling group (P < 0.05). No severe adverse effects were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Autologous platelet-rich plasma injections lead to a progressive reduction in the pain and disability when compared to dry needling. This benefit is certainly still present at six months after treatment. These findings suggest that treatment with platelet-rich plasma injections is safe and useful for rotator cuff disease.

10.1177/0269215512448388

Shoulder Pain

<1/WK

39

4 Weeks