Injection Therapies for Partial Rotator Cuff Tears

This completed study compared four injection treatments in patients with painful partial tears of the rotator cuff, the tendons that help move and stabilize the shoulder. The aim was to compare changes in shoulder pain, shoulder function, and difficulty with everyday activities. Participants were assigned by chance to one of four treatment groups: platelet-rich plasma prepared from the patient's own blood, prolotherapy containing dextrose (a type of sugar), corticosteroid medication, or a saline placebo injection. Ultrasound was used to guide needle placement into the space above the rotator cuff tendons. The platelet-rich plasma and prolotherapy groups received two injections two weeks apart. The corticosteroid and placebo groups received one injection. All groups followed the same rehabilitation program, starting two weeks after the first injection. Pain, shoulder function, and disability were assessed immediately before the first injection and at 6, 12, and 24 weeks after the first injection.