Shoulder pain is common in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). It is most often caused by overuse injuries to the muscles and tendons that can occur during wheelchair propulsion, transfers, and other activities of daily living. Normally, shoulder pain resolves with conservative treatments such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) and physical therapy. However, when these treatments fail, shoulder surgery may be the only option. Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, or PRP, is a treatment option for non-healing muscle and tendon injuries such as those that cause shoulder pain in persons with SCI. Using one's own blood, cells within the blood called "platelets" are concentrated and then re-injected into the muscle and tendon of the shoulder. These platelets release substances known as "growth factors" that lead to tissue healing. By concentrating the platelets we increase the growth factors up to eight times which will promote the healing of tendons. PRP therapy has shown promise in treating tendon and muscle injuries in able-bodied persons; however, its effectiveness in persons with SCI is unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of PRP therapy for chronic shoulder pain in persons with SCI. The human body has a remarkable ability to heal itself and we hypothesize that re-injecting concentrated platelets will facilitate the natural healing process and will reduce shoulder pain in persons with SCI.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
6
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) describes a new technology in which platelets are isolated from a sample of a person's own blood using simple cell-separating systems such as centrifugation in order to obtain highly concentrated samples of platelets that can be re-injected into an injury site to promote healing.
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation
West Orange, New Jersey, United States
Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)
Shoulder pain intensity will also be assessed weekly using a numerical rating scale (NRS). Subjects will be asked to rate their average pain, most severe pain, and least severe pain during the past week using an 11-point scale (i.e. 0-10) anchored at the ends by "no pain" and "worst pain ever experienced." An 11-point NRS measure of pain intensity allows for comparison across clinical trials of chronic pain treatment and is recommended as a core outcome measure for chronic pain clinical trials.
Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after the PRP treatment.
Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI)
The WUSPI is a 15-item self-report instrument that measures shoulder pain intensity in wheelchair users during various ADLs, such as transfers, loading a wheelchair into a car, wheelchair mobility, dressing, bathing, overhead lifting, driving, performing household chores, and sleeping. Each item is scored using a 10cm visual analog scale (VAS) which is anchored at the ends with "no pain" and "worst pain ever experienced." Individual item scores are summed to arrive at a total index score, which ranges from 0 to 150.
Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after the PRP treatment.
Patient Global Impression of Change
Subjects will be asked to rate on a 7-point scale overall impression following treatment as compared to the previous measurement interval. The 7-point PGIC scale (anchored by "very much improved" and "very much worse") is used to measure global treatment effect.
Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after the PRP treatment.
Brief Pain Inventory interference items (BPI-I)
The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) was developed by Cleeland, and has been used in a number of investigations of chronic pain. Its pain interference subscale has been used in several investigations of pain in SCI. In its original version the subscale (BPI-I7) consisted of 7 items measuring interference with general activity, sleep, mood, relationships, etc.). For uses with an SCI sample, in item 3 of BPI-I7, ''walking ability'' is replaced by "ability to get around."
Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after the PRP treatment.
Rotator Cuff Disease Score
Time frame: Baseline and at the 12-Week and 24-Weeks Follow-up Visit after the PRP treatment.
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