PRP is Superior to HA for Symptomatic Knee Pain at 6 and 12 Months for Knee Osteoarthritis
Is platelet-rich plasma effective for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis of level 1 and 2 randomized controlled trials.
Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2020 Aug;30(6):955-967.Twelve studies including 1,248 patients were included in this meta-analysis comparing intra-articular injections of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Pooled outcomes of interest included clinical outcome, assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, and pain assessed by VAS pain scores, WOMAC pain scores and KOOS pain scores. Outcomes were assessed at 6 and 12 months post-treatment. No statistically significant differences in pooled clinical outcomes were observed between the PRP and HA groups at both 6 and 12 months post-operation (p=0.069; p=0.188, respectively). However, pooled pain scores at both 6 and 12 months, were statistically significantly in favour of the PRP group (p=0.001; p=0.001, respectively). Similarly in the subgroup analysis of autologous conditions plasma, pooled pain scores at 6 months were significantly in favour of the autologous conditions plasma group.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics