Ultrasound-Guided Treatments for Shoulder Pain in Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury

Summary

Rotator cuff disease (i.e., rotator cuff tendinopathy or tear) is a common cause of shoulder pain in persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). It usually resolves with non-operative treatments such as pharmacological agents and physical therapy; however, when this fails, rotator cuff surgery may be the only option. Corticosteroid injections are another alternative to provide temporary relief, but can over time accelerate degeneration of the tendon and lead to further damage. Autologous adipose tissue injection has recently emerged as a promising new treatment for joint pain and soft tissue injury. Adipose can be used to provide cushioning and filling of structural defects and has been shown to have an abundance of bioactive elements and regenerative perivascular cells (pericytes). The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of autologous, micro-fragmented adipose tissue (Lipogems®) injection under ultrasound guidance for chronic shoulder pain in persons with SCI compared with the standard-of-care, corticosteroid injection.

Timeline

Start

2019-06-14

Primary completion

2023-04-30

Completion

2024-04-30

Publications

• Background Cherian C, Malanga GA, Hogaboom N, Pollack MA, Dyson-Hudson TA. Autologous, micro-fragmented adipose tissue as a treatment for chronic shoulder pain in a wheelchair using individual with spinal cord injury: a case report. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2019 May 13;5:46. doi: 10.1038/s41394-019-0186-8. eCollection 2019.
• Background Randelli P, Menon A, Ragone V, Creo P, Bergante S, Randelli F, De Girolamo L, Alfieri Montrasio U, Banfi G, Cabitza P, Tettamanti G, Anastasia L. Lipogems Product Treatment Increases the Proliferation Rate of Human Tendon Stem Cells without Affecting Their Stemness and Differentiation Capability. Stem Cells Int. 2016;2016:4373410. doi: 10.1155/2016/4373410. Epub 2016 Jan 6.

Drugs

Indications