Does botulinum A toxin help with pain from rotator cuff arthropathy?

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Do ultrasound guided botulinum A injections relieve pain in rotator cuff arthropathy?

  • IRAS ID

    171998

  • Contact name

    Chris Smith

  • Contact email

    christophersmith3@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust

  • Eudract number

    2015-002176-25

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT02512536

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Rotator cuff arthropathy is a cause of shoulder arthritis which is a common condition seen both in primary and secondary care. It is a painful condition, with significant disability. Reverse shoulder replacements are a good option for this condition and have found acceptance nationally and internationally, although like any operation, they can be associated with complications. A potential alternative is the use of Botox injections, which have a significant cost saving (fifty fold) over a reverse total shoulder replacement. To date there have been no trials comparing the use of a botox injection for pain relief in cuff arthropathy. If there is a significant clinical difference in the pain outcomes after Botox injections, this could result in significant savings to the NHS and the taxpayer as a whole. If high levels of pain relief could be predictably obtained using Botulinum A toxin injections then potentially patients could avoid the need for surgery.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 2

  • REC reference

    16/WA/0007

  • Date of REC Opinion

    12 Feb 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion