Antonio Barile, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Lorenzo Maria Gregori, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Silvia Mariani MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Luigi Zugaro, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Carlo Masciocchi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the efficacy of the treatment of supraspinatus tendinosis with ultrasound guided injection of platelet rich plasma using MR imaging as a gold standard diagnostic technique.

We evaluated seventy patients with tendinosis of supraspinatus tendon. The instrumental evaluation was based on US and MRI. In particular, the morphological recovery of the lesions after treatment was assessed by independent review of MR images performed by three radiologists. Our protocol included three US-guided infiltrations at a distance of 21 days between each other, preceded by clinical, functional and MRI assessments. The patients were evaluated from both the clinical and functional points of view by VAS and Constant Scale.

The MRI control was performed both before treatment and 30 days after the last infiltration. The mean VAS at the end of treatment improved from 6.86 to 1.7, the Constant scale improved from 55.1 to 85.6. Tendon thickness, evaluated on MRI, decreased by 5-15% in 33/70 (47%) cases. We observed a partial or complete morphological recovery of MRI signal in 45/70 (65%).

Our study shows that the use of US-guided injection of platelet rich plasma, giving considerable results in terms of symptoms and function in patients with tendinosis but offers only discrete morphological recovery of the supraspinatus tendon of the shoulder.

MRI may be considered the gold standard diagnostic technique in the evaluation of efficacy of the treatment of supraspinatus tendinosis with US-guided injection of platelet rich plasma.

Barile, A, Gregori, L, Mariani, S, Zugaro, L, Masciocchi, C, MRI Evaluation of Supraspinatus Tendon Pathology of the Shoulder before and after US-guided Treatment with Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12026652.html