Introduction
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition and a leading cause of disability.1 The disease negatively affects several aspects of a patient’s life, including mobility, sleep, mood, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Despite the clinical and economic burden of the disease, there is a recognized “treatment gap” in the management of patients with knee OA; where the individual no longer responds to conservative management but is considered inappropriate for surgical interventions.3 Intra-articular injections may be an appropriate treatment option for these patients. Despite the current use of intra-articular cortisone injection in some patients, there is a growing body of evidence that shows it offers only short-term pain relief for patients and may also be associated with disease progression.4,5
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP intra-articular injection is an established treatment option for individuals with mild to moderate knee OA. PRP contains biologically active proteins (platelet and plasma derived growth factors), which have inflammation-reducing properties.6 There is a substantial body of evidence, including over 34 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which shows the benefit of PRP over placebo, hyaluronic acid (HA), and steroid.7 Several key papers within this evidence base are set out in this document.4,8-11
Source: arthrex.com.au
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