Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Distal semimembranous (SM) tendinopathy is one of the rare causes of posteromedial knee pain. Steroid injections are included in the treatment of resistant cases. The effectiveness of dextrose prolotherapy is not fully known. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of dextrose prolotherapy in distal SM tendinopathy and to compare it with the effectiveness of steroid injections. METHODOLOGY: The study included 12 patients who received ultrasound-guided steroid injections and 13 patients who received dextrose prolotherapy treatment with the diagnosis of distal SM tendinopathy. The patient's visual analog scale (VAS) and International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Assessment (IKDC) scores were analyzed before the procedure, as well as one week and four weeks afterward. RESULTS: Pre-procedure VAS scores were similar in the dextrose and steroid groups (4.00 ± 0.70, 4.33 ± 0.88 P = 0.308), while they were significantly lower in the steroid group at week 1 (1.84 ± 0.55, 1.16 ± 0.93, P = 0.036). Fourth-week VAS scores were significantly lower in the dextrose group (0.61 ± 0.65, 1.33 ± 0.65, P = 0.011). IKDC scores were similar in the dextrose and steroid groups before the procedure (48.34 ± 6.01, 46.66 ± 3.34, P = 0.402). In the first week, it was observed to be similar in the dextrose and steroid groups (55.03 ± 8.52, 53.30 ± 1.56, P = 0.496) and higher in the dextrose group in the fourth week (62.50 ± 14.46, 53.13 ± 1.60, P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that both dextrose prolotherapy and steroid injections were effective in reducing pain and improving functionality in the treatment of distal SM tendinopathy. Steroid injections showed better results in the first week, while dextrose prolotherapy yielded better outcomes by the fourth week.