Ultrasound-guided therapy helps heal Achilles tendinosis

A study by University of British Columbia researchers has found that ultrasound-guided prolotherapy can alleviate the pain of patients with chronic tendinosis of the Achilles tendon.

Radiologist Dr. Norman J. Maxwell and colleagues prospectively enrolled 36 consecutive patients whose conservative treatment for chronic tendinosis of the Achilles tendon had failed. Patients underwent ultrasound-guided dextrose injections through tendon tissue every six weeks until symptoms improved or the treatment proved unsuccessful. The investigators found the technique led to a significant reduction in pain in about 90% of these patients in an average of four treatment sessions (AJR 2007;189[4]:W215-W220).