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Are Platelet Rich Plasma Injections More Effective in Tendinopathy or Enthesopathy?

Rocco Papalia, Biagio Zampogna, Gianluca Vadala, Alberto Di Martino, Carolina Nobile, Angelo Del Buono, Guglielmo Torre, Maria Cristina Tirindelli, Nicola Maffulli and Vincenzo Denaro

Introduction: Chronic overuse insertional tendinopathy (entesopathy) is highly prevalent, but is an extremely difficult condition that generates a high medical expense. Alternative and co-adjuvant therapies to improve the quality of life and physical function of affected patients are currently being sought.

Materials and Methods: A total of 31 patients affected by entesopathy at different anatomical sites (elbow tendinopathy, greater trochanter pain syndrome and plantar fasciopathy) were treated with three peritendinous injections of autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) and included in the present investigation. VAS scale and segmental scores for the affected site before the first injection of PRP and at 6 months after the last injection were used. One hundred and seven patients that underwent the same injection protocol in the same time lapse were used as a control group, and were represented by patients with non-insertional tendinopathy (shoulder and at Achilles tendon).

Results: Significantly lower values between pre-treatment and follow-up pain scores at all-time points were found in the patients affected by entesopathy compared to tendinopathy (p<0.001). As a confirmative finding, the segmental scores at the shoulder and ankle did not improve overtime, differently from what occurred in patients with entesopathy.

Conclusion: At 6 months following peritendinous injections of PRP in patients with entesopathy there was a significant reduction of pain, associated to a significant improvement in recorded segmental scores. Conversely, the treatment was not effective in patients with pure tendinopathy at the shoulder and ankle level. These favorable findings point to consider PRP as a promising therapy for patients affected by entesopathy.