A Prospective Study Assessing Functional Outcomes of Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression with Platelet-Rich Plasma...

Shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) arises from inflammation and degeneration of structures in subacromial space, significantly affects daily functioning, and is a frequent reason for primary care consultations. Extrinsic factors include pathological anatomical variations in the acromion and thickening of coracoacromial ligament, along with Intrinsic factors resulting from aging, inadequate blood supply, genetic predisposition, occupation, or lifestyle-induced stress.

This study, uniquely designed to assess the effectiveness of a consensus of clinical guidelines on the effectiveness of arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD) with intra-operative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) augmentation in SIS, analysed seventy-two patients. Their functional outcomes were determined using Visual Analogue Scale, Constant Shoulder Score, and UCLA Score.

The findings revealed significant improvements across all outcome measures. The most striking was the substantial pain reduction, as evidenced by the mean VAS score decreasing from 5.88 pre-operatively to 1.08. This significant reduction in pain offers substantial hope and optimism for patients suffering from SIS. The constant scores increased from 38.04 to 82.71, with excellent or good results in 91.67% of the patients. The UCLA scores increased from 14.50 to 31.13, with 91.67% of patients having excellent or good results. Importantly, no significant complications were observed.

Arthroscopic subacromial decompression, augmented with PRP, is a safe and effective procedure in treating SIS, yielding significant improvements in clinical outcomes (pain and function) by the present study. The functional result is comparable for patients with intact and partial rotator cuff tears. This study's findings and safety profile reiterate the effectiveness of this procedure, instilling confidence in the practitioner regarding its application.