Date of Award
Spring 2021
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Lisa Murphy
Abstract
Despite advancing surgical techniques for rotator cuff tears (RCTs), the recovery from surgery is often painful and the rate of re-tear remains high. The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is being studied as an adjunct therapy in order to increase the success of treatment. The goal of this study is to consolidate and compare the results of previous research to determine whether the use of PRP had significant benefit in the treatment of RCTs. Therefore the research question was: in adults (18+) diagnosed with a partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tears, does the use of PRP as an adjuvant treatment to arthroscopic repair reduce pain, reduce re-tear rate and improve functionality of the affected shoulder, compared to arthroscopic repair alone. A literature search of the PubMed and EBSCO databases was performed in November of 2019. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of seven randomized controlled trials were utilized in this research. Comparison of the studies based on the variables pain, functionality, and re-tear rate found that only three of the studies had some kind of significant result to support the use of PRP. Overall a majority of the results from these studies found no significant difference in the use of PRP with arthroscopic surgery compared to just surgery alone. In conclusion there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that PRP helps improve pain, functionality, and reduce re-tear rates of rotator cuff tears. However, this study faced many limitations which should be addressed in future research.
Recommended Citation
Bekampis, Angela, "The efficacy of platelet-rich plasma administration for rotator cuff tears" (2021). Capstone Showcase. 46.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2021/pa/46
Included in
The efficacy of platelet-rich plasma administration for rotator cuff tears
Despite advancing surgical techniques for rotator cuff tears (RCTs), the recovery from surgery is often painful and the rate of re-tear remains high. The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is being studied as an adjunct therapy in order to increase the success of treatment. The goal of this study is to consolidate and compare the results of previous research to determine whether the use of PRP had significant benefit in the treatment of RCTs. Therefore the research question was: in adults (18+) diagnosed with a partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tears, does the use of PRP as an adjuvant treatment to arthroscopic repair reduce pain, reduce re-tear rate and improve functionality of the affected shoulder, compared to arthroscopic repair alone. A literature search of the PubMed and EBSCO databases was performed in November of 2019. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of seven randomized controlled trials were utilized in this research. Comparison of the studies based on the variables pain, functionality, and re-tear rate found that only three of the studies had some kind of significant result to support the use of PRP. Overall a majority of the results from these studies found no significant difference in the use of PRP with arthroscopic surgery compared to just surgery alone. In conclusion there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that PRP helps improve pain, functionality, and reduce re-tear rates of rotator cuff tears. However, this study faced many limitations which should be addressed in future research.