The Effectiveness of Prolotherapy for Recalcitrant Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: a Prospective Consecutive Case Series.
Background: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is one of the most common lower leg injuries in sporting populations. It accounts for between 6%-16% of all running injuries, and up to 53% of lower leg injuries in military recruits. Various treatment modalities are available with varying degrees of success. In recalcitrant cases, surgery is often the only option.
Objective: To evaluate whether ultrasound-guided injection of 15% dextrose for treatment of recalcitrant MTSS decreases pain and facilitates a return to desired activity levels for those who may otherwise be considering surgery or giving up the sport.
Method: The study design was a prospective consecutive case series involving eighteen patients: fifteen male and three female; (mean age=31.2 years) with recalcitrant MTSS. They were referred from sports injury clinics across the UK, having failed all available conservative treatment.
Intervention: An ultrasound-guided sub-periosteal injection of 15% dextrose was administered by the same clinician (NP) along the length of the symptomatic area. Typically, 1 mL of solution was injected per cm of the symptomatic area.
Main Outcome Measures: Pain was assessed using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline, short-term, medium-term (mean 18 weeks), and long-term (mean 52 weeks) follow-up. Symptom resolution and return to activity were measured using a Likert scale at medium and long-term follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Mac version 19.0.0 (IBM, New York, NY, US). The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to evaluate the normality of the distribution of data. Friedman's non-parametric test was used to compare the within-patient treatment response over time. Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni corrections were performed to determine VAS average pain response to treatment over five paired periods.
Results: Patients reported a significant (p<0.01) reduction in median VAS pain score at medium and long-term follow-up compared to baseline. Median improvement per patient was 4.5/10. Patients rated their condition as 'much improved' at medium-term follow-up and the median return to sports score was 'returned to desired but not pre-injury level' at medium-term and long-term follow-up. No adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided 15% dextrose prolotherapy injection has a significant medium-term effect on pain in MTSS. This benefit may be maintained long-term; however, more robust trials are required to validate these findings in the absence of controls.
Clinical Relevance: Clinicians should consider the use of ultrasound-guided injection of 15% dextrose as a viable treatment option to reduce pain and aid return to activity for patients with recalcitrant MTSS.
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Posted 13 Jan, 2021
On 01 Jan, 2021
On 01 Jan, 2021
On 01 Jan, 2021
Received 06 Dec, 2020
On 06 Dec, 2020
On 21 Nov, 2020
Received 20 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 04 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 04 Nov, 2020
On 04 Nov, 2020
On 04 Nov, 2020
On 30 Jul, 2020
Received 10 Jul, 2020
On 27 Jun, 2020
Invitations sent on 26 Jun, 2020
On 07 Jun, 2020
On 06 Jun, 2020
On 06 Jun, 2020
On 05 Jun, 2020
The Effectiveness of Prolotherapy for Recalcitrant Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: a Prospective Consecutive Case Series.
Posted 13 Jan, 2021
On 01 Jan, 2021
On 01 Jan, 2021
On 01 Jan, 2021
Received 06 Dec, 2020
On 06 Dec, 2020
On 21 Nov, 2020
Received 20 Nov, 2020
On 08 Nov, 2020
On 04 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 04 Nov, 2020
On 04 Nov, 2020
On 04 Nov, 2020
On 30 Jul, 2020
Received 10 Jul, 2020
On 27 Jun, 2020
Invitations sent on 26 Jun, 2020
On 07 Jun, 2020
On 06 Jun, 2020
On 06 Jun, 2020
On 05 Jun, 2020
Background: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is one of the most common lower leg injuries in sporting populations. It accounts for between 6%-16% of all running injuries, and up to 53% of lower leg injuries in military recruits. Various treatment modalities are available with varying degrees of success. In recalcitrant cases, surgery is often the only option.
Objective: To evaluate whether ultrasound-guided injection of 15% dextrose for treatment of recalcitrant MTSS decreases pain and facilitates a return to desired activity levels for those who may otherwise be considering surgery or giving up the sport.
Method: The study design was a prospective consecutive case series involving eighteen patients: fifteen male and three female; (mean age=31.2 years) with recalcitrant MTSS. They were referred from sports injury clinics across the UK, having failed all available conservative treatment.
Intervention: An ultrasound-guided sub-periosteal injection of 15% dextrose was administered by the same clinician (NP) along the length of the symptomatic area. Typically, 1 mL of solution was injected per cm of the symptomatic area.
Main Outcome Measures: Pain was assessed using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline, short-term, medium-term (mean 18 weeks), and long-term (mean 52 weeks) follow-up. Symptom resolution and return to activity were measured using a Likert scale at medium and long-term follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Mac version 19.0.0 (IBM, New York, NY, US). The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to evaluate the normality of the distribution of data. Friedman's non-parametric test was used to compare the within-patient treatment response over time. Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni corrections were performed to determine VAS average pain response to treatment over five paired periods.
Results: Patients reported a significant (p<0.01) reduction in median VAS pain score at medium and long-term follow-up compared to baseline. Median improvement per patient was 4.5/10. Patients rated their condition as 'much improved' at medium-term follow-up and the median return to sports score was 'returned to desired but not pre-injury level' at medium-term and long-term follow-up. No adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided 15% dextrose prolotherapy injection has a significant medium-term effect on pain in MTSS. This benefit may be maintained long-term; however, more robust trials are required to validate these findings in the absence of controls.
Clinical Relevance: Clinicians should consider the use of ultrasound-guided injection of 15% dextrose as a viable treatment option to reduce pain and aid return to activity for patients with recalcitrant MTSS.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5