Is there any PRP therapy available in the UK for treating partial rotator cuff tear?

Last month, one of my patients came for his shoulder examination. He approached me a year ago with his shoulder pain. He was diagnosed with partial rotator cuff tear. After undergoing a PRP (platelets rich plasma) injection, his pain got resolved. Furthermore, he returned to the gym successfully.

Usually, we don’t get an MRI test after PRP injection. However, in his case, we performed the MRI test. We found that his rotator cuff tear got resolved. Hence, I thought I would explain about partial rotator cuff tear and how PRP therapy helps.

It is very common to have partial-thickness rotator cuff tear. But somehow, physicians focus only on the full-thickness tears. At times, they ignore partial-thickness tears. Furthermore, its treatment remains always controversial.

How does the rotator cuff tear occur?

The rotator cuff tendons are a group of tendons that are present around a shoulder joint. A trauma or a repetitive activity may affect the rotator cuff tendons.

Overhead activities aggravate stress on these tendons. These tendons may become pinched between the shoulder and shoulder blade. Usually, physicians diagnose it as impingement, bursitis, or tendinopathy.

Continuous stress on the tendon may cause a partial tear. Later, this small tear increases in size to become a complete tear.

Can every patient experience this partial rotator cuff tear?

The symptoms of a partial rotator cuff tear vary in every person. In some patients, it may go unnoticed. They may not feel any pain. Studies reveal that nearly 1 in 5 people lead their lives with a partial rotator cuff tear.

Other patients may experience pain over the outer part of their shoulders. They will feel this pain while performing overhead activities. He will undergo pain while rotating his shoulder.

Can an MRI test diagnose partial rotator cuff tear?

MRI test helps in diagnosing rotator cuff tears. However, it works well in full-thickness tear, especially if all the fibres are torn.

In the case of a partial tear, the sensitivity of an MRI test will remain only 51.6%. Nearly this test miss half of all partial rotator cuff tears. Even ultrasound test has the similar efficacy. However, its accuracy depends on the expertise of the physician who performs this test.

Will a partial rotator cuff tear turn into a complete tear?

Yes. The partial rotator cuff tear can progress to complete tear if left untreated. However, there is no clear evidence regarding the duration of this change. The larger the partial tear, the more quickly it progresses to a full tear. A research study reveals that 28% of partial tears progressed to full tears in a year.

Is surgery the proper treatment for a partial rotator cuff tear?

Remember that surgery should be the last resort. The symptoms and the characteristic of the tear decide the treatment modality. Usually, full-thickness tears more than 1-1.5 cm may benefit from surgery.

However, conservative treatment should be the first option. Conservative treatment includes medications, physical therapy, and cortisone injection. It is usually successful in 73–80% of patients.

Does regenerative cell treatment, especially PRP (platelets rich plasma) injection, helps you to avoid surgery?

Yes. PRP therapy is a natural treatment to fix your partial tears permanently. It stimulates the healing mechanism of your body to repair the tear by bringing in new tendon cells. Hence, this injection not only masks the symptoms but also treat the underlying cause.

PRP therapy involves your blood cells. Hence, you may not experience any complications like allergy and rejection.

It is possible to hear partial rotator cuff tear non-surgically. So, it is always better to try PRP therapy before opting for the surgery. As mentioned above, your MRI test can help determine the effect of PRP therapy on a partial tear.

Remember that many therapists perform PRP injections. However, you must make sure your therapist has the right skill and experience to increase success.

How does Medica Stem Cells Clinic help?

Yes. Our Medica Stem Cells Clinic offers regenerative cell treatment for all shoulder problems. Regenerative medicine includes cell therapy, prolotherapy, and PRP (Platelets-Rich Plasma) therapy.

Further more, our Medica Stem Cells Clinic offers nutritional therapy and physical therapy as part of a rehabilitation programme. We offer personalised combinational therapy to increase your healing process. However, this combination varies according to your condition.

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