Abstract
Objective: Past studies have reported different results of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) application in rotator cuff disease (rupture and tendinosis). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasound-guided subacromial PRP application on pain and functional recovery by selecting only patients with partial rotator cuff rupture (PRCR).
Method: This is a single-center, retrospective study. The results were analyzed for 35 patients (23 females, 12 males) and 40 shoulders with PRCR and ultrasound-guided two doses of PRP injection with an interval of two weeks between April 2018 and May 2019. Pain and functional status were evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and American Shoulder and Elbow Score (ASES) before injection and in the first and sixth months after the injection.
Results: The mean pre-procedure VAS score was 8.2±1.3, the post-procedure first-month mean VAS score was 3.7±2.4, the post-procedure sixth-month mean VAS score was 3.9±2.1, and the VAS scores of the first and sixth months were significantly lower than that of the pre-procedure period (p<0.001). The mean ASES score for the pre-procedure period was 18.5±11.7, the post-procedure first-month mean was 58.5±19.9, the post-procedure sixth-month mean was 54.3±15.9, and the first and sixth-month ASES scores were significantly higher than that of the pre-procedure period (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided PRP injection is effective in pain relief and functional recovery in the early period and at the sixth-month follow-up in patients with PRCR. PRP is a useful and safe alternative in patients with PRCR who do not respond to other conservative treatments.

Key words: Platelet-rich plasma, partial rotator cuff rupture, ultrasound-guided shoulder injection, subacromial injection