Can Achilles tendinosis be treated effectively with lidocaine and glucose infiltrations, and if so, is the effect lasting? A longitudinal, observational on 27 consecutive patients

Objective

Our aim was to add to the small but growing body of evidence on the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided Achilles intratendinous hyperosmolar dextrose prolotherapy and introduce a novel, preceding step of paratenon hydrodissection with lidocaine in patients with chronic Achilles tendinosis resistant to rehabilitation therapy.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal, observational study on 27 consecutive patients diagnosed with Achilles tendinosis, in whom conservative treatment, ie, physiotherapy or shock wave therapy, had failed. A 2% lidocaine paratenon anesthesia and hydrodissection was followed by ultrasound-guided, intratendinous injections of 25% glucose every 5 weeks. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were used for pain assessment at rest, for activities of daily living, and after moderate exercise at the begining and at the end of the treatment. Moreover, tendon thickness and vascularisation were recorded at baseline and final treatment consultation. Effectiveness was estimated from scoring and relative pain reduction using a 95% CI. The non-parametric Wilcoxon test and a general linear model for repeated measures were applied. Statistical significance was established as p < 0.05.

Results

A median of 5 (1–11) injection consultations per patient were required. Pain scores decreased significantly in all three conditions (p < 0.001). Relative reductions were 75% in pain at rest (95% CI;61–93%), 69% in pain with daily living activities (95% CI; 55–83%), and 70% in pain after moderate exercise (95% CI; 57–84%). Tendon neo-vascularisation was significantly reduced (p < 0.001). We did not observe significant changes in tendon thickness (p = 0.083).

Conclusions

Achilles tendinosis treatment with paratenon lidocaine hydrodissection and subsequent prolotherapy with hyperosmolar glucose solution is safe, effective, inexpensive, and virtually painless with results maintained over time.