Effects of Dextrose Prolotherapy in Rotator Cuff Disease

Rotator cuff disease is a major cause of shoulder pain and disability. Non-surgical treatments aimed at reducing pain and improving function include therapeutic exercises, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and subacromial corticosteroid injections. However, some patients remain symptomatic despite these conservative treatments. Prolotherapy has recently gained increasing attention as a treatment option for various musculoskeletal conditions. In patients with chronic rotator cuff disease resistant to conventional treatment, regenerative injection approaches such as dextrose prolotherapy may offer potential clinical benefits. In this prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind interventional study, 60 patients with shoulder pain due to rotator cuff disease who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups using computer-generated random numbers. In the dextrose prolotherapy group, prolotherapy injections were administered at baseline, week 3, and week 6 using an ultrasound-guided marking technique under aseptic conditions. In the control group, saline injections were administered at the same time points. Both groups received a standardized home exercise program. Participants were evaluated at baseline and at the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for activity-related, resting, and night pain, the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), the UCLA Shoulder Rating Scale, shoulder active range of motion, and the Ultrasound Shoulder Pathology Rating Scale (USPRS).