Abstract :
Introductions: Periarthritis shoulder is a common degenerative condition causing pain and progressive stiffness in the shoulder joint. While the treatment ranges from Physical therapy and oral medications to invasive interventions such as Injections or Surgery, this randomized controlled trial compares the clinical outcomes of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with corticosteroid injections for managing periarthritis shoulder in a government hospital setting. Materials and Methods: About sixty patients diagnosed with periarthritis shoulder were randomized equally into two groups. Group 1 received a single intra-articular PRP injection prepared by a Indigenous double differential centrifugation method method, while Group 2 was administered a single intra-articular corticosteroid injection (Triamcinolone 40mg/ml). Both groups underwent concomitant physiotherapy. Patients were followed up for 52 weeks to assess outcomes using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick-DASH) scores for functional improvement at seven specified intervals during the study period (2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 and 52 weeks).Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in pain and function throughout the study. The PRP group showed more sustained symptom relief with maximum improvement at 8 weeks (mean Q-DASH score: 51.24, mean VAS score: 4.77), while the steroid group showed faster initial improvement with maximum effect at 4 weeks (mean Q-DASH score: 52.99, mean VAS score: 4.97). No significant differences in efficacy were observed between the two treatments at the end of 52 weeks.Conclusions: A statistically significant association was noted between disease severity and comorbidities such as hypertension, supraspinatus tear, and cervical disc disease (p = 0.005). With no adverse effects and significant pain relief and functional improvement in both the groups, PRP offers more sustained effects while corticosteroids provide faster relief. Hence, PRP is an effective alternative for long-term management, particularly among patients seeking prolonged symptom relief.
Keyword :
Periarthritis shoulder, Frozen shoulder, Platelet-Rich Plasma, Corticosteroid injection, Intra-articular injection, Pain relief.