Ultrasound-guided injections for supraspinatus tendinopathy: corticosteroid versus glucose prolotherapy – a randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Background

Subacromial corticosteroid injections are frequently performed for pain associated with supraspinatus tendinopathy. Glucose prolotherapy has been used clinically for multiple tendinopathies and is hypothesized to be an alternate injection therapy for supraspinatus tendinopathy.

Methods

A prospective, randomized, double blinded clinical trial was conducted. Thirty-six patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy were randomized into two groups: 17 received an ultrasound-guided injection of glucose into the tendinopathic parts of the supraspinatus tendon and 19 received an ultrasound-guided injection of corticosteroid into the subacromial bursa. Primary outcome was level of pain with overhead activities at 3 months. Secondary outcome measures included level and frequency of pain and function, shoulder range of motion, impingement tests, strength and tendon changes on ultrasound.

Results

Level of pain with overhead activities was significantly reduced at the 3-month follow-up in the prolotherapy group and at the 6-month follow-up for both the prolotherapy and corticosteroid groups. There were no significant differences between the groups at any time point.

Conclusions

Both glucose prolotherapy and corticosteroid were generally well tolerated; however, glucose prolotherapy offered no additional benefit over subacromial corticosteroid injection for supraspinatus tendinopathy.