A short term comparative study of the effectiveness of prp versus steroids in plantar fascitis

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. Various treatment options are available, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid injections, orthosis, and physiotherapy. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection has emerged as a treatment alternative for many musculoskeletal conditions. To date, there is no single treatment supported by the highest level of evidence. High-quality studies involving double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are hard to come by due to the debilitating pain experienced by most patients during the initial consultation. Another possible reason is the fact that most therapies are used in combination and thus there is poor evidence on which modality is the best. In this study, the relevant literature search of the physiology of running and the physiology of plantar fasciitis was done and autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was compared to traditional cortisone injection in the treatment of chronic cases of plantar fasciitis. 30 patients were selected to evaluate & compare the effects of platelet rich plasma & steroid injection on planter fasciitis. They were divided into two groups Group A (15 patients) and group B(15 patients), with Group A receiving PRP (taken from the patients' blood, activated using calcium chloride and injected in a single dose) and Group B receiving Steroid(A single dose methylprednisolone with local anesthetic injection).The results were evaluated and compared using the AFAS score and the VAS score at 0 (pretreatment), 1, 2 and 3 months. A review of the relevant literature was also done.