This elbow injury has been found most commonly in people who play tennis, although it can be found in many patients who have never played tennis. This can be caused by acute trauma or by repetitive motion activities such as frequent keyboard use. Lateral Epicondylitis is associated with pain along the outside of the elbow with a specific area of tenderness. The cause of this pain is tearing of the extensor carpi radialis tendon at it attaches at the elbow (a forearm muscle which extends the wrist, attaches at the elbow, and tears at its point of attachment). This area can be treated with a number of different conservative approaches, although the most effective long term approach Dr. Kloth believes to be PRP injection. This treatment has been shown to have a greater than 90% long term response in recent studies. Surgery should be reserved for only the most recalcitrant cases.
Tears of the tendon above (quadricep) and below (patella) the knee can be associated with significant difficultly with walking and pain in the knee region. Injury of these tendons causes the area to be tender to touch. Partial tears can be treated effectively with regenerative medicine techniques. Full tear with avulsion or retraction requires open surgical treatment.
One of the most common knee injuries today is medial and lateral meniscus tears. These tears are often associated with injury or trauma to the medial or lateral collateral ligaments respectively. The classic treatment approach for this is open surgical intervention, however today there are a number of studies which show healing of these meniscus tears utilizing regenerative medicine techniques, specifically PRP injections.
Both the shoulder and hip are ball and socket type joints. As part of the stabilizing component of these joints there is an internal sleeve, or attachment, called the labrum. The ball of the humerus (arm) or femur (leg) inserts into the socket and is partially held in place by the labrum. Tearing of the labrum can occur with traumatic injuries. This is often associated with pain. In some patients open surgical intervention is required for treatment of these labral tears. In patients with lessor degrees of tearing, PRP injection intra-articularly (into the joint itself), may result in symptomatic improvement on a long term sustained basis.
Hamstring tears typically recover and heal on their own. Some patients develop chronic pain related to chronic tearing of their hamstring muscle or tendon. This tendon attaches at the ischael tuberosity (the bone you sit on). Injection of this tendon and/or the attachment of the ischael tuberosity with PRP can be effective at controlling these symptoms and at promoting healing of the tear.
Rotator cuff injuries are one of the most common injuries and can occur from a variety of different traumatic events. These injuries are most commonly associated with throwing injuries, slips, and falls. It is also very common to see these injuries following a MVA and they typically occur on the side that the seatbelt crosses the shoulder. A thorough examination often will reveal the precise cause of the symptoms and interventional treatments can be considered including steroid injections, although on a long term basis this is likely not the best treatment option (long term use of steroids can damage tendons, ligaments, and cartilage). Regenerative therapy techniques provide good long term results and a chance for permanent cure of the underlying condition without surgery. We have found a high success rate at Connecticut Pain Care with the treatment of rotator cuff injuries using PRP therapy. Patient selection is paramount to success as not all lesions are amenable to this form of therapy.
The recovery period from PRP injection for a rotator cuff injury (versus traditional open surgery) is associated with significantly less pain, and a shorter period of acute soreness (a few days vs. weeks/months). No sling is required and most work can be resumed within one week. Both interventions require 4-6 months for full healing and an extended course of therapy/rehabilitation. PRP therapy is not associated with the potential for the development of progressive arthritis, whereas open surgical intervention in the shoulder (or any joint) has been claimed by some to be associated with the later development of progressive osteoarthritis. Partial thickness and full thickness rotator cuff tears without retraction can effectively be treated with PRP therapy or regenerative medicine. Typically these tendons are injected under direct ultrasound guidance to allow placement of PRP directly into the area of tearing, additional PRP is usually injected into the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint. PRP is not effective for rotator cuff tears which are associated with retraction of the tendon (i.e. – the two ends of the tendon are no longer connected but instead have pulled back or retracted from each other).
PRP has been used for a variety of different other musculoskeletal injuries typically involving tendon or ligamentous structures. If you have a tendinous or ligamentous injury, please inquire with Dr. Kloth as to whether your condition would be amenable to PRP therapy.
Radiculopathy describes nerve pain which travels or radiates into the extremity from a nerve which is compressed or irritated in the spine. This nerve can be compressed by disc, bone, or other structures. Many patients refer to leg pain associated with a radiculopathy as sciatica. Although this is not an accurate term for this condition, it has become overused in popular culture and many people still confuse the two problems. Radiculopathy can occur at any spinal level (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar), which means that pain radiating into your arms or your legs can be considered radicular if the source of that pain occurs in the spine.
Spinal stenosis describes a condition where the spinal canal is narrowed. The spinal canal can be narrowed by disc herniations, bony overgrowth, ligamentous overgrowth (ligamentum flavum), and/or spondylolisthesis (a condition where one bone of the spine slips forward or backward in relation to the bone below). Spinal stenosis can occur centrally or in the foramen where the nerve exits. Placement of medication in close proximity to the area of narrowing provides the greatest degree of relief. Spinal stenosis may be effectively treated with intermittent injections, however if this does not provide lasting relief, surgical decompression may need to be considered; this can be performed with a minimally invasive technique in certain patients.
Spondylolisthesis describes the situation where one vertebral body or spinal bone moves forward or backward on top of the adjacent vertebral body (spinal bone). Spondylolisthesis is frequently associated with back pain, but may also be associated with nerve compression causing radiating pain into the lower extremity.