Highlights
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Today’s Research Article: Your go-to treatment just got outperformed—see why PRP is leading in joint relief.
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Questions from the Field: Even if they’re under 65, it’s better to have the ABN signed—every time.
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Let’s Get Down to Business: Educate, personalize, and document—keys to building a thriving PRP practice.
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Come Join Us: Train smarter, connect deeper—your next breakthrough starts at a live event.
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Today’s Research Article
Platelet-Rich Plasma versus Corticosteroid Intra-Articular Injections for the Treatment of Trapeziometacarpal Arthritis: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Michael-Alexander Malahias, Leonidas Roumeliotis, Vasileios S. Nikolaou, Efstathios Chronopoulos, Ioannis Sourlas, and Georgios C. Babis
Summary:
This prospective randomized controlled trial by Malahias et al. compared intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (IA-PRP) injections with corticosteroid injections for treating early to moderate trapeziometacarpal (thumb base) arthritis. Over 12 months, patients receiving IA-PRP experienced significantly better outcomes in pain relief (VAS score), hand function (Q-DASH score), and satisfaction than those treated with corticosteroids. While both treatments showed improvement at 3 months, only the PRP group maintained and improved these benefits at 12 months, with 62.5% of PRP patients reporting mild pain vs. just 12.5% in the steroid group.
The study also demonstrated that patient satisfaction with PRP rose over time, reaching 69% at 12 months compared to only 12.5% in the steroid group. This sustained improvement is attributed to PRP’s biological effects, including anti-inflammatory properties and stimulation of cartilage repair. Given its longer-lasting relief and functional improvement, IA-PRP offers a superior non-surgical option for managing mild to moderate thumb arthritis compared to the short-lived effects of corticosteroids.
Doctor-to-Patient Talking Points for Choosing IA-PRP Over Steroids (with Evidence)
