Comparison of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Prolotherapy for Plantar Fasciitis

March 18, 2026 updated by: Kazi Mahzabin Arin, Bangladesh Medical University

Efficacy Of Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Versus Prolotherapy In Patients With Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the comparative effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and prolotherapy in patients with plantar fasciitis. Both interventions are commonly used regenerative injection therapies intended to improve pain and functional outcomes in patients who do not respond adequately to conventional conservative treatments.

Participants diagnosed with plantar fasciitis will be randomly assigned to receive either PRP injection or prolotherapy. The results of this study aim to identify the more effective injection therapy for improving clinical outcomes in patients with plantar fasciitis

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Plantar fasciitis is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by chronic heel pain resulting from degeneration and microtears of the plantar fascia at its calcaneal insertion. It frequently affects individuals who perform prolonged standing, repetitive walking, or high-impact activities. The condition may lead to persistent discomfort, functional limitation, and reduced quality of life.

Initial management typically includes conservative measures such as rest, stretching exercises, orthotic devices, physiotherapy, and pharmacological pain management. Although many patients respond to these treatments, a subset of patients continues to experience chronic symptoms requiring additional therapeutic options.

Regenerative injection therapies have emerged as alternative treatments for chronic plantar fasciitis. Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves preparing a concentrated platelet suspension from autologous blood and injecting it into the affected region. The platelets release multiple growth factors that may stimulate tissue regeneration, promote collagen synthesis, and enhance healing of the damaged plantar fascia.

Prolotherapy is another injection-based therapy that uses an irritant solution, most commonly hypertonic dextrose, injected at the site of ligament or tendon attachment. The solution induces a controlled inflammatory response that stimulates fibroblast proliferation and connective tissue repair, which may strengthen the affected structures.

Despite the increasing use of PRP therapy and prolotherapy, the comparative effectiveness of these treatments remains uncertain. Evidence comparing the two techniques is limited, and determining their relative benefits may assist clinicians in selecting the most appropriate treatment for patients with persistent plantar fasciitis.

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial in which eligible participants will be allocated to either PRP therapy or prolotherapy. Clinical outcomes will be assessed during follow-up to determine the effectiveness of each intervention in reducing pain and improving functional status. The findings of this trial may provide evidence to guide treatment decisions for patients with plantar fasciitis who do not respond to conventional conservative management.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

68

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: AKM Akhtaruzzaman, MD

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient with plantar fasciitis not responding to conservative therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with uncontrolled diabetes, haematological disorders, hepatitis B or C, HIV, clinical signs of acute inflammation, or septicaemia.

    • Those receiving local steroid injections within one month.
    • Those receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications within 72 hours.
    • Platelet levels 25% below the normal level.
    • Patient who had acute ankle or foot trauma, a diagnosis of calcaneal fracture, or stress fracture.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Group Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
Platelet Rich plasma (PRP) therapy in patients with plantar fasciitis
Procedure: platelet-rich plasma injection
autologous platelet-rich plasma prepared from the participant's blood and injected into the plantar fascia under aseptic conditions.
Active Comparator: Group Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy in patients with plantar fasciitis
Procedure: Prolotherapy with 25% Dextrose
Injection of hypertonic dextrose solution into the plantar fascia at the site of maximal tenderness to stimulate tissue healing.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months
Pain intensity will be measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The Visual Analog Scale is a validated measure of pain intensity consisting of a 10-cm line ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 represents no pain, and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Foot function assessed using the Foot Function Index (FFI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months
Evaluation of functional limitation and disability related to plantar fasciitis. The total score ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents no pain or disability, and 100 represents the worst possible pain and functional limitation. Higher scores indicate worse foot function and greater disability.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months
Patient satisfaction score by 5-point Likert Scale
Time Frame: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months
Patient satisfaction will be assessed using a 5-point Likert Satisfaction Scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 represents very dissatisfied, 2 represents dissatisfied, 3 represents neutral, 4 represents satisfied, and 5 represents very satisfied. Higher scores indicate greater patient satisfaction with the treatment.
2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months
Plantar fascial thickness measured by ultrasound
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months
Plantar fascial thickness will be measured using diagnostic ultrasound. Plantar fascia thickness will be measured in millimeters (mm) at the point of maximal thickness near the calcaneal insertion using musculoskeletal ultrasound. Increased plantar fascia thickness is associated with greater disease severity, and a reduction in thickness over time indicates improvement.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Bangladesh Medical University

Investigators

  • Study Director: AKM Akhtaruzzaman, MD, Bangladesh Medical University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 28, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 18, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BMU/2026/20/000004

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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