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August 14, 2024
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PRP alone, with vitamin C may reduce pain, improve function for partial rotator cuff tears

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Key takeaways:

  • Both platelet-rich plasma alone or combined with vitamin C were associated with reduced pain at 3-month follow-up.
  • Both groups were also associated with improved function at 3-month follow-up.

Published results showed both subacromial injections of platelet-rich plasma alone or combined with vitamin C may be effective treatment options for patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.

“However, contrary to expectations, the present study did not find a significant difference between the two groups,” Hamid Mirhosseini, MD, PhD, professor at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in Iran, and colleagues wrote in the study.

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Platelet-rich plasma and vitamin C may be effective treatment options for patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. Image: Adobe Stock

Mirhosseini and colleagues randomly assigned 110 patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears to undergo subacromial injections of either normal saline and PRP (n = 55) or PRP combined with vitamin C (n = 55). Outcomes measured prior to the injection and 1 month and 3 months after the injection included Constant scores, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores and VAS pain scores.

According to the study, both groups experienced reductions in VAS pain scores at 3-month follow-up with no significant difference between the groups. In addition, results showed ASES scores and Constant scores improved after 3-month follow-up with no significant differences between the groups. Mirhosseini and colleagues also noted Constant scores were the same between groups at 1-month follow-up.

“Future prospective clinical studies should aim to include a wider patient population,

incorporate radiological assessments and extend the follow-up period to offer valuable insights into the long-term effects and durability of the treatment,” Mirhosseini and colleagues wrote in the study. “Conducting studies with these design elements would help to further elucidate the effectiveness of combined vitamin C and PRP injections on tendon healing.”