Highlights
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Today’s Research Article: Grade IV knee arthritis patients move better, hurt less, and skip the scalpel.
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Questions from the Field: When PRP results fall short, smart testing and re-dosing can turn non-responders into success stories.
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Let’s Get Down to Business: Connect, refer, and watch your practice grow.
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Today’s Research Article
Serial Platelet‐Rich Plasma Intra‐articular Injections in Kellgren and Lawrence Grade IV Knee Joint Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Blinded Placebo‐Controlled Interventional Study
Amit Saraf, Altaf Hussain, Sandeep Bishnoi, Goushul Azam, Hamza Habib
Summary:
This prospective, blinded, placebo-controlled trial evaluated whether three monthly intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections could improve pain and function in patients with Kellgren–Lawrence Grade IV knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who were unwilling or unsuitable for total knee arthroplasty. A total of 90 patients were randomized to receive PRP or normal saline (NS) injections. Pain (VAS) and function (WOMAC) were assessed at baseline, three months, and six months. Both groups improved, but only the PRP group achieved minimal clinically important differences in both pain and function, with statistically significant superiority over NS at both follow-ups. No major complications occurred.
The results suggest that serial PRP injections are a safe, minimally invasive option that can provide mild but clinically meaningful short-term relief in advanced KOA, especially for patients avoiding surgery. Improvements were independent of BMI but were more pronounced in younger and female patients. The placebo effect was also observed in the NS group, but PRP showed a greater and more sustained benefit.
Doctor-to-Patient Talking Points on Why to Choose PRP (Based on the Study):
