Scientists have uncovered a new application for a drug that is typically used to treat female infertility: healing severe shoulder injuries in men.

The drug clomiphene citrate, commonly used to boost egg production, may expedite healing and improve joint mobility, according to new research, by fooling the brain into creating more of the hormone testosterone, which is critical to the healing process.

Shoulder pain affects one in every three people at some point, making it the third most widespread musculoskeletal problem.

Tears in the rotator cuff, a group of tendons that stabilize the joint in the shoulder, are a common cause. These tears range in size from small (less than 1cm) to large (more than 1cm) (more than 5cm). The exact causes are unknown, although they include hereditary predisposition and degeneration.

The only way to heal the damage is through surgery. In the United Kingdom, around 10,000 rotator cuff repairs are performed each year.

However, up to 90% of these treatments fail within the first year (especially for bigger tears; 40% fail for smaller tears) because the damage is too significant or the tendon margins will not retain the stitches.

The new treatment aims to speed up the body’s natural healing processes.

When administered to women as part of fertility treatment, clomiphene citrate reduces the quantity of naturally circulating oestrogen.

This causes the pituitary gland in the brain to secrete more of two hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), which cause ovulation and egg release.

Clomiphene citrate, on the other hand, appears to promote the creation of testosterone in men when taken as a daily pill.

According to a 2006 study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, the medicine resulted in a doubling of testosterone levels in males with hypogonadism (where sex glands produce few, if any, sex hormones).

Testosterone is known to play an important part in tissue healing by transporting oxygen and nutrients to the injured site and assisting with restoration.

It’s thought that boosting its levels can help with recovery. Testosterone can be taken as a gel, patch, or injection, but it must be taken on a regular basis to keep levels stable. Clomiphene citrate, on the other hand, causes the body to produce enough testosterone to maintain persistent high levels.

The University of Utah is conducting a trial with 90 men who have rotator cuff tears to see how the medicine affects healing. For four weeks before surgery, the men will be given the medicine or a placebo every other day, and then for six months afterwards.

Tests, including MRI scans, will be used to track recovery and healing rates, as well as discomfort and movement.

“Clomiphene works within the body to trick it into thinking testosterone and oestrogen levels are low and motivate it to make more testosterone and oestrogen, according to the researchers. “We believe that clomiphene treatment will reduce pain and improve functioning, enhance tendon healing and increase bone quality with rotator cuff repair in men.”

“It will be interesting to see the results of this preliminary trial,” adds Roger Hackney, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Spire Leeds Hospital.

“However, in the age group most commonly affected by cuff tears, there will be risks to inducing more testosterone such as a raised risk of prostate cancer.”

According to a study, injecting the patient’s own blood during shoulder surgery reduces the probability of the procedure failing. According to the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, nearly 60 patients with rotator cuff injuries who received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections — in which a sample of their own blood is processed to isolate components involved in healing — were three times more likely to have successful surgery than those who did not receive PRP. PRP is supposed to aid in the restoration of muscles and ligaments.

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: Women’s infertility pills help treat injuries in men, says new study