Iqbal Muhammad Awais, Mannan Muhammad, Khalil Sarmad, Hameed Malik Haroon, Karim Faisal, Ahmad Zawar, Carter Daniel, Shrivastava Nayan
Trauma and Orthopedics, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, PAK.
Trauma and Orthopedics, The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Dudley, GBR.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 29;17(7):e88965. doi: 10.7759/cureus.88965. eCollection 2025 Jul.
To evaluate the short-term tendon healing response to a single ultrasound-guided autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in patients aged 25-60 years with clinically and ultrasonographically confirmed unilateral, partial- to full-thickness rotator cuff tears.
This descriptive case series was conducted at the Department of Orthopedic and Spine Surgery, Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, from April 25 to October 24, 2018. A total of 90 patients aged 25 to 60 years, with clinically and ultrasonographically confirmed partial- and full-thickness rotator cuff tears, were enrolled. Patients with diabetes mellitus, bone infections (e.g., osteomyelitis), or muscular and skeletal dystrophies were excluded. All patients received a single PRP injection administered by the principal investigator. Follow-up assessments were conducted over a 12-week period, and tendon healing was evaluated using ultrasonography. Complete healing was defined as the absence of a tear on follow-up imaging.
Ninety patients were included, mean age: 41.46 ± 9.05 years; 61 males (67.78%) and 29 females (32.22%). Most patients (55.56%) were aged 41-60 years, and right shoulder involvement was observed in 56.67% of cases. At 12 weeks, complete tendon healing was noted in 62 patients (68.89%), while 28 patients (31.11%) showed no healing. Stratified analysis revealed no statistically significant association between healing outcomes and age (p = 0.839), gender (p = 0.141), symptom duration (p = 0.900), BMI (p = 0.504), or affected side (p = 0.327).
PRP therapy was associated with a high rate of tendon healing on ultrasonographic assessment at 12 weeks in patients with partial- to full-thickness rotator cuff tears. While these findings suggest potential short-term structural benefits, they should be interpreted with caution due to the study's descriptive design, lack of a control group, and reliance on ultrasound. Although PRP may be a useful adjunct in conservative management, especially for non-surgical candidates, current evidence supports its role primarily in symptom relief. Larger randomized controlled trials with standardized protocols and functional outcomes are needed to establish its long-term efficacy.
评估25至60岁临床及超声检查确诊为单侧、部分至全层肩袖撕裂患者单次超声引导下自体富血小板血浆（PRP）注射后的短期肌腱愈合反应。
本描述性病例系列研究于2018年4月25日至10月24日在拉合尔古尔基信托教学医院骨科与脊柱外科进行。共纳入90例年龄在25至60岁之间、临床及超声检查确诊为部分及全层肩袖撕裂的患者。排除患有糖尿病、骨感染（如骨髓炎）或肌肉骨骼营养不良的患者。所有患者均接受由主要研究者进行的单次PRP注射。随访评估为期12周，采用超声检查评估肌腱愈合情况。完全愈合定义为随访影像学检查未见撕裂。
纳入90例患者，平均年龄：41.46±9.05岁；男性61例（67.78%），女性29例（32.22%）。大多数患者（55.56%）年龄在41至60岁之间，56.67%的病例累及右肩。12周时，62例患者（68.89%）肌腱完全愈合，28例患者（31.11%）未愈合。分层分析显示，愈合结果与年龄（p = 0.839）、性别（p = 0.141）、症状持续时间（p = 0.900）、BMI（p = 0.504）或患侧（p = 0.327）之间无统计学显著关联。
对于部分至全层肩袖撕裂患者，PRP治疗在12周超声评估时肌腱愈合率较高。虽然这些发现提示可能有短期结构益处，但由于本研究的描述性设计、缺乏对照组以及依赖超声检查，应谨慎解读。尽管PRP可能是保守治疗中的有用辅助手段，尤其是对于非手术候选者，但目前证据主要支持其在缓解症状方面的作用。需要开展更大规模、具有标准化方案和功能结局的随机对照试验来确定其长期疗效。
