CLINICAL OUTCOME OF PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) INTRA-ARTICULAR INJECTION IN EARLY KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS
Background
Platelets have an important role in tissue homeostasis as well as tissue healing and restoration. This is due to the fact that platelets contain a large number of growth factors, cytokines, and bioactive proteins. Studies have shown that PRP techniques have helped increase cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, inflammation mediation, and matrix synthesis.
AIMS:
To evaluate the clinical effects of intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma in osteoarthritis knee and to study the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in a cohort.
METHOD:
100 patients presenting to the Orthopaedics outpatient department with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis of grade 1-3 of Kellgren-Lawrence classification were selected for the study. All the selected patients, out of which 54 were male and 46 were female, were treated with three intra-articular injections of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP). These patients were followed up for a minimum period of 12 months.
RESULT :
At present treatment the mean WOMAC score was lowest in grade 1 patients while it was highest in grade 3 patients. The mean value of grade 1 WOMAC score was 76.269,while it was 77.830 for grade 2 and 78.143 for grade 3. This signified that the more advanced was the disease the more pain stiffness and alteration of physical function was perceived by the patient. Furthermore, in post-treatment evaluation the mean WOMAC score in grade 1 reduced to 38.43,grade 2 reduced to 47.617 after 12 months However there was no such decline in WOMAC score of grade 3 patients, implying no much improvement in advanced stage of disease.
CONCLUSION:
PRP was a safe method of treatment as it induced no adverse effects amongst the study population.
It is therefore safe to conclude that PRP is a safe, simple, economic and efficacious modality in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
