BACKGROUND:Medical polyethylene glycol berberine is a biomaterial against tissue adhesion, with anti-inflammatory effects, which can prevent scar formation and reduce local inflammation. OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical efficacy of medical polyethylene glycol berberinevia shoulder joint injections on subacromial impingement syndrome. METHODS:Forty patients with subacromial impingement syndrome I, II were voluntarily divided into two groups: biomaterial group (n=20), single intra-articular injection of 3 mL medical polyethylene glycol berberine; conservative treatment group (n=20), single subacromial space closed treatment of betamethasone combined with lidocaine hydrochloride folowed by oral administration of celecoxib 200 mg once, twice a day, totaly for 1 week. Patients were folowed up clinicaly for visual analog scale scores, range of motion of the shoulder and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Both of two groups had a great improvement in visual analog scale scores, range of motion of the shoulder and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores after treatment (P< 0.05), and these scores were improved more significantly in the biomaterial group than the conservative treatment group at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months after treatment (P < 0.001). These findings indicate that the intra-articular injection of medical polyethylene glycol berberine for subacromial impingement syndrome can effectively aleviate shoulder pain, improve shoulder mobility, and promote functional recovery of the shoulder.

BACKGROUND:Hyaluronic acid or compound betamethasone for treatment of knee osteoarthritis can reduce inflammatory reactions in the joints, relieve pain, and protect the function of the knee joint. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the clinical efficacy of intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid combined with compound betamethasone on middle-stage knee osteoarthritis as wel as protective effect on joint function. METHODS:A total of 100 patients with II, III knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into two groups: intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (2 mL) as control group and intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (2 mL) combined with compound betamethasone (1 mL) as testing group. The intra-articular injection was carried out once a week, totaly for consecutive 5 weeks. Visual analog scale score, Lysholm knee joint score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were compared between two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After treatment, the visual analog scale score, Lysholm knee joint score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were improved significantly in the two groups as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05); in addition, these parameters were al better in the testing group than the control group (P < 0.05). No systemic adverse reactions occurred in the two groups. These findings indicate that the intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid combined with compound betamethasone can reduce inflammatory reactions, relieve pain, and improve joint function.