Riassunto dello studio

Eighty-five patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) were randomized to receive 2 injections consisting of a single intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) followed by platelet-rich plasma (PRP; n=43) or the single injection group consisting of PRP alone (n=42). The primary outcome of interest was pain evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 1,3, and 6-months follow-up. Secondary outcomes of interest included the following: the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and its associated subscales (pain, stiffness, and function), Lequesne index, single leg stance test (SLS), patient satisfaction, and usage of acetaminophen which all secondary outcomes were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6-months follow-up. Results of this study demonstrated that VAS was statistically significantly improved at 6-months follow-up in the combined injection group vs PRP alone (p=0.020). For secondary outcomes, WOMAC function and total scores, Lequesne Index, SLS, and patient satisfaction scores were not statistically significantly different between 2 groups at all timepoints (p>0.05). However, WOMAC pain and stiffness were both statistically significantly higher in the combined injection group vs PRP alone at 1-month follow-up (p=0.025, p=0.011; respectively). Furthermore, the consumption of analgesics was not statistically significantly different between both groups (p>0.05).