(Research Hub Theater) Platelet Rich Plasma Compared to Viscosupplementation in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis at 6 Month and 12 Month Follow-up

Background and/or Objectives: Platelet-rich plasma has been recently introduced as an anti-inflammatory treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Previously, hyaluronic acid has been widely used in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. We sought to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes comparing PRP to hyaluronic acid through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Setting: Online.

Participants: A total of 20 trials with 1977 patients were included.

Interventions: Platelet-rich plasma.

Main Outcome Measures: The two treatments were compared based on the WOMAC, VAS, and IKDC at specific time points of baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Results: Platelet Rich Plasma had a significant benefit over HA based on the WOMAC, VAS, and IKDC at all time points with the exception of the IKDC at 12 months (95% C.I.: -0.4, 9.6). Overall complications from all treatments and the number of drop-outs from the studies were minimal. The risk of bias was generally low among the included RCTs. There was little evidence of publication bias based on the Funnel Plots.

Conclusions: In the available literature, there are numerous published methods for PRP treatment for knee osteoarthritis. When taken as a whole, PRP demonstrates a significantly superior clinical result compared to HA at 6 months and 12 months. These findings must be considered in light of the numerous preparation protocols and PRP classifications detailed in this report for the included studies.