Comparison of Dextrose Prolotherapy and Triamcinolone Intraarticular Injection on Pain and Function in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis - A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: The present study was performed to assess the therapeutic effects of combined intra and extraarticular dextrose prolotherapy on knee osteoarthritis and its comparison with intra- articular triamcinolone injection. METHODS: In this study, 50 patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis were allocated into two groups as a double-blind randomized clinical trial. The first group received one session of dextrose prolotherapy as one intra-articular injection of 10cc dextrose 16% and periarticular intradermal injections of dextrose 12% at 4 points around the knee (2.5 cc at each point). The second group underwent therapy with one intra-articular injection of triamcinolone (40 mg). RESULTS: Compared to pretreatment, both interventions caused significant improvement in pain (evaluated by VAS) and WOMAC (all its components) in 1 and 3 months postintervention (all with P-value < 0.005). In the first month, pain reduction was significantly better in corticosteroid group (P-Value 0.002 and 0.048 respectively). In third month post intervention, improvements in VAS and WOMAC components were significantly greater in prolotherapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Both methods of corticosteroid and dextrose prolotherapy (combined intra and extraarticular technique) are effective on pain and function of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Compared to corticosteroid, prolotherapy method was associated with less pain reduction in short- term, but its effects were more persistent and in midterm examinations (3 months), it was more effective than corticosteroid.