A Prospective Series of Patients with Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy
The Regenerative Clinic's view on this research
Mr Nick Savva ” This is an interesting study demonstrating very positive effects of PRP injections as part of a structured rehab programme for chronic Achilles tendinopathy. This reinforces importance of combing injection therapies with rehab. One doesn’t work without the other.”
Abstract
Chronic Achilles tendinopathy is a difficult problem to manage, because it can result in significant patient morbidity. We conducted a prospective case series involving 26 patients (2 bilateral cases) with painful and ultrasound-confirmed Achilles tendinopathy for a minimum duration of 6 months. Our objective was to assess whether this condition can be effectively treated with a treatment protocol combining an intratendinous autologous-conditioned plasma injection followed by a standardized rehabilitation protocol. The rehabilitation protocol consisted of full weightbearing in a pneumatic cast boot for 6 weeks, therapeutic ultrasound treatment, and an eccentric exercise program. Our results showed statistically significant improvements in terms of pain (p < .0001), other symptoms (p ¼ .0003), activities of daily living (p ¼ .0002), sports activities (p ¼ .0001), and quality of life (p ¼ .0002). We believe that the use of autologous-conditioned plasma can provide a potential treatment solution for chronic Achilles tendinopathy.