Efficacy of Intra–Articular Platelet–Rich Plasma Injections in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta–Analysis.

Purpose of Review: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a gradual deterioration of articular cartilage characterized by pain and physical dysfunction. Although analgesic pharmacological agents are the first–line treatment for knee OA, they are not effective for all patients. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of an intra–articular injection treatment using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in reducing pain and improving functional ability. Recent Findings: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta–Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review and meta–analysis (SR/MA) provides an updated overview for the role of PRP in knee OA treatment. Ten articles, published between 2016 and 2023, met the inclusion criteria and compared PRP treatment to a placebo control at six-month follow–up. A total of 9,409 potential studies were identified from a review of four different databases: PubMed (n = 4595), Cochrane (n = 4252), VHL (n = 112), and OpenSigle (n = 450). After the titles and abstracts and inclusion and exclusion criteria were considered, a total of 10 studies were analyzed. Although a significant improvement among PRP–treated groups in some studies was found, there was variability such as where the aforementioned scores appeared to worsen and some only demonstrated trends. Summary: Overall, PRP may be a promising treatment for symptomatic knee OA. However, further research is necessary to determine the efficacy of PRP in treating knee OA, with specific considerations for times at follow–up, frequency and dosage of injections, and comorbidities, which were unaccounted for in this SR/MA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]