Short- and long-term results of clinical effectiveness of sodium hyaluronate injection in supraspinatus tendinitis

The objective of the study is to evaluate the short- and long-term effect of intraarticular sodium hyaluronate (SH) application in patients diagnosed with supraspinatus tendinitis (ST) that have shoulder pain on the clinical symptoms of the patients through comparison with conventional physiotherapy methods. A total of 24 patients were included in the study and were randomized into two groups.SH injection and physical therapy modalities (PTM) were administered to Group I and Group II, respectively. Home exercise programs were recommended to all of the patients in both groups. The patients were evaluated using the pain severity [Visual Analog Scale (VAS)], range of motion and functional evaluation (FE) parameters pertaining to pre-treatment, 3rd week, 3rd month and 4th year post-treatment. Patient’s global effectiveness (PGE) evaluation was performed in the 3rd month and 4th year of the treatment. There were no statistically significant differences for Group I’s resting VAS value between pre-treatment controls and controls in the 3rd week and 3rd month, no statistically significant differences were detected for Group II in passive flexion between pre-treatment and the 4th year, also in passive external rotation between pre-treatment and 3rd week (P > 0.05). A statistically significant recovery was detected in both groups in all the other evaluation parameters (P < 0.05). When evaluation was performed among groups, active abduction in the control in the 3rd month, VAS by movement and a statistically significant difference in favor of Group I in FE were determined (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found among groups in PGE (P > 0.05). It was concluded that physical therapy modalities and SH application supplemented by home exercise programs were similar effects in short- and long term for ST which causes pain in shoulder and SH application may be a better alternative with regard to effectiveness and side effects for other treatment methods applied intraarticulary.