Platelet-Rich Plasma – Does it Work for Lateral Epicondylitis ?

A large systematic review examined high-quality trials assessing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for musculoskeletal pain, including ten randomized studies focused on lateral epicondylitis. PRP showed a modest pain reduction at three months across various comparators, though this early advantage weakened after removing higher-risk trials. At six and twelve months, PRP outperformed steroid injections but showed no meaningful difference from whole blood. Evidence quality ranged from limited to moderate, influenced by study bias and small pooled samples. Overall, findings suggest a short-term benefit over mixed controls and a longer-term edge over steroid, but uncertainty remains due to low-quality evidence.