Comparative Study of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Steroid Injection for the Treatment of Plantar Fascitis

Background Plantar fascitis (PF) is the most common cause of heel pain. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been recently used as an alternative therapy for plantar fasciitis (PF) to reduce heel pain and improve functional restoration. The aim of this study was to compare the short term results of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and steroid injections in patients diagnosed with chronic plantar fasciitis. Materials& Methods In this study, 50 patients with unilateral chronic plantar fasciitis were randomized into two groups, the PRP group (n=25), and the steroid group (n=25) by selecting a sealed envelope. In the PRP group (n=25), PRP taken from the patients blood was activated using calcium chloride and injected in a single dose. In the steroid group (n=25), a single dose methylprednisolone with local anesthetic injection was given. Patients who had been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, monitored for a minimum of 3 months and showed no benet from conservative treatment starting with stretching exercises and NSAIDs were included in the study. The patients were followed regularly, initially at two week intervals till 6weeks and then at 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Pain intensity and functional outcomes were measured using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Ankle-Hind foot Scale (AHFS), and Roles-Maudsley Subjective Pain Scale (RMSPS). Results Both groups were similar in terms of age, gender, side and baseline VAS& AHFS scores. In both the groups, mean VAS scores and the mean AHFS scores improved significantly at the end of one year over the baseline values. Similarly, in both the groups, functional status improved significantly over a period of one year with 70 % patients in the steroid group and 94 % in the PRP group achieving excellent functional status. The PRP group had significantly higher mean VAS, AHFS and RMSPS scores at 1 year follow-up than the steroid group (p