Effects of platelet-rich plasma on pain and muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Objective No studies comparing the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection and placebo injection in bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the same patient, or discussing muscle strength after PRP injection, have been published. Design Twenty patients with bilateral knee OA were eligible, and 40 knees were randomized into two groups: PRP (knees [right or left by a coin toss] receiving a single intra-articular PRP injection) and saline group (the contralateral knee of the same patient, into which single 4-mL intra-articular injection of normal saline was administered). The primary outcome measure was Western Ontario and McMaster's Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the secondary included isokinetic test results. The evaluation was at baseline and at 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months post-injection. Results The PRP group showed a significant reduction in the WOMAC-pain and -total scores compared to normal saline group (p flexor) was found in the PRP group during a longer follow-up period, PRP treatment resulted in insignificant differences in muscle strength compared to normal saline. Conclusions PRP treatment significantly improves pain, stiffness, and disability in patients with knee OA compared to normal saline treatment. Additional strength training is recommended to enhance muscle strength recovery. Corresponding author: Dr. Liang-Cheng Chen, MD, MS, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Neihu District, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. E-mail: clctsgh@yahoo.com.tw Sources of Funding: The study is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Republic of China (grant no. MOST 104-2314-B-016-050). Conflict of Interest/Disclosure: There is no Conflict of Interest/Disclosure in this study Copyright © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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