Study Summary

Forty-two patients with hip osteoarthritis secondary to developmental dysplasia of the hip were randomized to receive intra-articular platelet-rich plasma injections (n=22) or intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections (n=20). The primary outcomes of interest were pain improvement measured using pain-Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)-pain scores. Secondary outcomes of interest included WOMAC total score, WOMAC stiffness, Harris Hip Score, Oxford Hip Score, and factors associated with pain improvement. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and up to 24 weeks after treatment. Overall, the results of the study revealed that both treatments significantly improved pain from baseline, with platelet-rich plasma demonstrating greater improvement in pain-VAS scores at 24 weeks compared with hyaluronic acid. These findings suggest platelet-rich plasma is at least as effective as hyaluronic acid and may provide superior pain relief in hip osteoarthritis secondary to developmental dysplasia of the hip.