Journal of Orthopaedic Diseases and Traumatology (May 2024)

A Comparative Study between Platelet-rich Plasma and Corticosteroid Injection for Plantar Fasciitis

  • H. Y. Rakshith Chakravarthy,
  • Nagesh Sherikar,
  • Nitin Rawal,
  • Anirudha Mundargi,
  • N. Mahesh Gowda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/jodp.jodp_77_23
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 2
pp. 190 – 194

Abstract

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Introduction: This study’s objective is to treat intractable plantar fasciitis (PF) with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or corticosteroid and compare the two treatments’ efficacy at 12 and 24 weeks. PF is a condition that causes a lot of people a great deal of pain and makes it difficult for them to carry out their daily activities. This research is being carried out because PF is a disorder that affects a significant number of people worldwide. Materials and Methods: “In this study, 120 patients with chronic PF who were not responding to the conventional conservative treatment were randomly assigned to receive either PRP, steroids, or normal saline (NS). To determine the level of pain experienced by each patient, both the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were utilized.” A comparison was made between the outcomes of prospective pretreatment and posttreatment analyses of the data gathered at 12 and 24 weeks. Results: Before the beginning of the therapy, the patient’s levels of pain were examined using the VAS and AOFAS scales. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the three groups of patients regarding their degrees of pain. After 12 weeks, the groups who got PRP injections, corticosteroid injections, and PRP injections all experienced statistically significant improvements in their Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and VAS ratings as compared to the group that received NS injections. “After 24 weeks, there is a statistically significant difference between the improvements in FAOS and VAS scores in the group that received PRP injections and the groups that received corticosteroid injections and NS injections, respectively. This difference is seen in the group that received PRP injections.” Conclusion: According to the findings of our study, a single injection of PRP is more effective than either triamcinolone or NS at reducing the discomfort brought on by chronic PF over a short period of follow-up time. This was determined by comparing the three treatments to one another.

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