Acta Medica Alanya (Mar 2020)
Comparison of efficacy of platelet-rich plasma and extracorporeal shock-wave therapy on pain and functional capacity in patients with Plantar Fasciitis
Abstract
Aim: Plantar Fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of heel pain. There are various conservative methods for the treatment of PF. Nearly 10% of the patients are refractory to the conservative methods and thus undergo surgical procedures. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection with that of extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) in PF patients.Patients and Methods: The study included 58 patients (40 females), who had complaints for at least 3 months and were refractory to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and stretching exercises. The patients who underwent PRP injection (n=29) and ESWT (n=29) were evaluated regarding pain severity by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and functionality by Foot Function Index (FFI) both before and at the 3rd month after treatment.Results: In both groups, a significant improvement was observed in the VAS and FFI scores at the 3rd month after the treatment as compared with the pretreatment scores. The improvement in the VAS and FFI scores was significantly greater in the PRP group than in the ESWT group (P < 0.05).Conclusions: PRP can be a more effective method than ESWT in improving pain and functional scores in PF patients. However, further studies are needed on this issue.
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