Platelet-rich plasma intra-articular injections as an alternative treatment for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration and hypertrophic lesions of the epiphyseal bone. It is a disabling condition that causes difficulties of locomotion and severe complications in case of inappropriate treatment. There is growing evidence proving the beneficial effects of using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

The aim of the present paper is to review the recent scientific literature on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma presenting the current opinion on this subject.

Methods: We analys several studies about PRP who were identified using online databases: EBSCO, ScienceDirect, Scopus and PubMed.

Results: After the primary analysis we selected a total of 23 relevant studies. The analysis focused on different PRP administration techniques and methods used in knee osteoarthritis.

Conclusions: PRP is most widely used in incipient and moderate symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Most studies show a significant decrease in pain and significant improvement in joint functionality. These results were mostly obtained after a short follow-up period (6 months-1 year) and also this treatment has a small number of side effects.