3 L-PRP injections at 2-week interval; before the injection: Ca-chloride was added to activate platelets; control group: HMW-HA (50 pts), LMW-HA (50 pts); knee articular damage: grades 0–4 of Kellgren-Lawrence scale.
Better improvement of PRP group at 6 months in IKDC and EQ VAS scores; better results in subgroup of patients with cartilage degeneration; worsening from 2 to 6 months subgroup in patients with advanced OA; no difference between PRP and control groups in patients over 50 years.
3 PRP injections at 3-week interval; before the injection: Ca-chloride was added to activate platelets; control group: sodium hyaluronate (LMW-HA) (15 pts).
No difference in IKDC score, WOMAC score, and Lequesne index between 2 groups within 4 months; better improvement of PRP group at 6 months.
Randomized double blind prospective comparative study
I
L-PRP
3 L-PRP injections at 1-week interval; control group: HMW-HA (55 pts); knee articular damage: grades 0–4 of Kellgren-Lawrence scale.
Improvement at 12 months from baseline in IKDC, KOOS, EQ-VAS, and Tegner for both groups; no differences between PRP group and controls; trend toward better results for the PRP group in patients with less degenerated joints.
3 P-PRP injections at 1-week interval; control group: HMW-HA (74 pts); knee articular damage: Ahlbäck grade I–III.
Better improvement of PRP group at 24 weeks in the percentage of patients having a 50% decrease in WOMAC pain subscale; trend toward better improvement (not significant) of PRP group in scores on the WOMAC subscales for stiffness and physical function, in Lequesne index, in the percentage of OMERACT-OARSI responders, and in the amount of acetaminophen in mg/day.
Better improvement of PRP group at 28 weeks in AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale (AHFS), VAS for pain, stiffness, and function, subjective global function scores.
Group A (52 knees): single injection of PRP; group B (50 knees): 2 injections of PRP at 3-week interval; group C (46 knees): single injection of normal saline; knee articular damage: Ahlbäck grade I-II.
Better improvement of PRP groups at 6 months in WOMAC, VAS and overall satisfaction with the procedure; no difference between group A and B; slight worsening from 3 to 6 months.
9 PRP injections during 1 year; control group (50 pts): 1% mesocain; knee articular damage: Grade II (fibrillation), Grade III (fissuring and fragmentation, but no bone exposed).
Better improvement of PRP groups at 12 months in Lysholm, Tegner, IKDC, and Cincinnati scores.
3 PRP injections at 1-week interval; control group: HMW-HA (50 pts); hip articular damage: grades 2–4 of Kellgren-Lawrence scale.
No difference at 12 months between the groups in Harris Hip Score (HHS), NSAID consumption and VAS.
y = years; PRP = Platelet-Rich Plasma; P-PRP = Pure PRP, with a low content of leukocyte; L-PRP = Leukocyte rich PRP; P-PRF = Pure Platelet-Rich Fibrin; LMWHA = Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid; HMW-HA = High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid; pts = patients; PRGF = “Preparation Rich In Growth Factors” or Plasma-Rich Growth Factors or Platelet Rich Growth Factor with a very low/absent content of leukocytes.
