Ultrasound-guided injection of platelet-rich plasma in partial anterior cruciate ligament injury

Abstract

Background The most common injuries in athletes are anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and are associated with a nontouch pivoting harm mechanism in a deceleration maneuver. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a low-cost, simple, and minimally invasive therapy that can provide a concentration of natural blood growth factors. The use of PRP has been validated to be beneficial in enhancing ligament healing, mainly ACL in vitro, in animals, and in humans. Aim The goal of the work was to study the effect of ultrasound (US)-guided injection of PRP in the treatment of partial ACL injury. Patients and methods This study included 30 patients with partial ACL injuries selected from the outpatient medical institution of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Tanta University Hospitals. All patients underwent detailed history taking, clinical examination, and MRI examination. Visual analog score, Lachman test, Tegner Activity Scale, and knee outcome survey were performed before and after injection. Patients were injected with 5 ml of PRP two times 1 week apart under US guidance. Results There were significant differences between visual analog score before injection and 1 week after second injection and after 6 months of follow-up. There was insignificant improvement of the Lachman test 6 months after injection. There were significant improvements of Tegner Activity Scale, knee outcome survey of Activities of Daily Living Scale, and Cincinnati Sports Activity Scale after injection. Conclusion Although US-guided PRP injection failed to show any structural improvement in partial ACL injury, it showed improvement of pain and functional activity.