Riassunto dello studio

Fifty-four patients with chronic subacromial bursitis were randomized to receive either a 20% hypertonic dextrose injection (n=28) or a corticosteroid injection containing triamcinolone and lidocaine (n=26). The primary outcomes of interest were changes in Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Secondary outcomes included changes in shoulder range of motion (ROM) and subacromial bursa thickness on ultrasound. Outcomes were assessed at 2, 6, and 12 weeks. Overall, the results of the study revealed that steroid injections provided greater and more sustained reductions in pain and disability scores, greater improvements in ROM, and larger reductions in bursal thickness compared to dextrose. These findings suggest that while both interventions offered short-term benefits, corticosteroids were more effective for managing chronic subacromial bursitis over 12 weeks.