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Published on: January 4, 2019
Platelet-Rich Plasma as an Adjunct to Rehabilitation for Partial Rotator Cuff Tears in Recreational Athletes: A
Ayyappan V Nair1, Shishir Mysore2, Aravind Rajan1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Introduction:
The role of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of partial rotator cuff tears (RCTs) in young recreational athletes remains controversial. Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy and return-to-sports (RTS) rates of two commonly prescribed treatment options for partial RCTs in young recreational athletes.
Materials And Methods:
Sixty-one young recreational athletes with partial RCT were assigned based on patient preference to two groups: Physical therapy (PT) group (28 patients) receiving a standardized rehabilitation program and PRP with PT group (33 patients) receiving ultrasound-guided PRP injection at the site of the tear along with the same rehabilitation program. Functional outcomes such as the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, Hand (DASH) score, Constant-Murley score, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score were assessed at baseline and after 6 months.
Results:
At 6 months, the PRP with PT group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in functional outcomes compared to the PT group. Adjusted Constant-Murley (89.4 vs. 79.5; P < 0.001) and ASES scores (83.7 vs. 75.2; P < 0.001) were higher in the PRP with PT group, while QuickDASH scores (48.8 vs. 24.5; P < 0.001) showed a steeper adjusted decline, indicating superior recovery of shoulder function in the PRP with PT group. However, after adjusting for baseline, VAS scores did not differ significantly between groups. RTS rates were 50% in the PRP with PT group versus 20% in the PT group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Autologous PRP injection among recreational athletes with partial RCTs is an effective tool to be used as an adjunct to rehabilitation owing to its effect on improving shoulder function, reducing disability, and allowing greater rates of RTS.
