Comparison Clinical Effects of Hypertonic Dextrose and Steroid Injections on Chronic Subacromial Bursitis: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the study is to determine and compare the treatment efficacy of subacromial steroid injections and dextrose prolotherapy for chronic subacromial bursitis patients. Fifty-four patients with chronic subacromial bursitis were enrolled in this double-blind randomized controlled trial. Shoulder Pain and Disability Index and visual analog scale were the primary outcomes. The steroid group ( n = 26) exhibited significant visual analog scale score improvements comparing with baseline at weeks 2, 6, and 12; the dextrose prolotherapy group ( n = 28) exhibited visual analog scale score improvements at weeks 6 and 12. The steroid group displayed significant Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score improvements compared with baseline at weeks 2, 6, and 12; the dextrose prolotherapy group exhibited significant score decreases at weeks 2 and 6. Compared with the dextrose prolotherapy group, the steroid group demonstrated significantly greater decreases in visual analog scale scores at weeks 2 and 6; the steroid group showed significantly greater decreases in Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores at weeks 2, 6, and 12. Both hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy and steroid injections can provide short-term improvements of pain and disability among chronic subacromial bursitis patients. Moreover, steroid injections showed better effectiveness than hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy in ameliorating pain and improving function.