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The comparison of the effect of corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of plantar fasciitis

  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

In this study, the results of local injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and corticosteroids in the treatment of plantar fasciitis were compared.

Patients and methods

Sixty patients who were diagnosed as plantar fasciitis and treated conservatively for at least 3 months and had no response to conservative treatment modalities were involved in this study. The first 30 consecutive patients were treated by local injection of 2 mL of 40 mg Methylprednisolone with 2 mL of 2% prilocaine (metilprednizalone) and the second 30 patients were treated by injecting 3 mL PRP after 2 mL of 2% prilocaine injection. Patients were evaluated according to the modified criteria of the Roles and Maudsley scores and visual analog scale before injection and 3 weeks and 6 months following injection.

Results

The mean VAS heel pain scores measured 6 months after treatment were 3.4 in steroid group and 3.93 in PRP group, and the scores in both groups were significantly lower when compared with pretreatment levels (6.2 in steroid group and 7.33 in PRP group). There was no significant difference between steroid and PRP groups in visual analog scale scores and modified criteria of the Roles and Maudsley scores measured at 3 weeks and 6 months (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Our results revealed that both methods were effective and successful in treating plantar fasciitis. When the potential complication of corticosteroid treatment was taken into consideration, PRP injection seems to be safer and at least having same effectivity in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Third Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic, 1. Cad 134/3 Bahçelievler, Cankaya, Ankara, 06500, Turkey

    Ertuğrul Akşahin

  2. Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic, Near East University, Cyprus, Turkey

    Dağhan Doğruyol & Levent Çelebi

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey

    Onur Hapa

  4. Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Third Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic, Ankara, Turkey

    Halil Yalçın Yüksel, Özgür Doğan & Ali Biçimoğlu

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  1. Ertuğrul Akşahin
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  2. Dağhan Doğruyol
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  3. Halil Yalçın Yüksel
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  4. Onur Hapa
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  5. Özgür Doğan
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  6. Levent Çelebi
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  7. Ali Biçimoğlu
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Correspondence to Ertuğrul Akşahin.

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Akşahin, E., Doğruyol, D., Yüksel, H.Y. et al. The comparison of the effect of corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 132, 781–785 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-012-1488-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-012-1488-5

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