PRP intra-articular injection and viscosupplementation as therapeutic treatments for early osteoarthritis: multicentre retrospective cohort study in 150 patients at 6 months follow up

Objectives: The influence of the growth factors on cartilage repair is not yet widely studied and its application in clinics is still experimental. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), a blood derived rich in growth factors, is a promising method for treatment of cartilage defects. Aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the efficacy of PRP and Viscosupplementation (HA) i.a. injections for treatment of severe chondropathies of the knee. Methods: The study involved 150 patients affected by chondropathy, early Osteoarthritis and severe Osteoarthritis. 50 symptomatic patients were treated with 3 autologous PRP intra-articular injections and evaluated prospectively. For PRP production 150 ml of venous blood were collected from each patient and underwent a double centrifugation, increasing platelet concentration. All patients were clinically evaluated at the enrolment, at the end of the treatment, at 6 months follow up. The results obtained were also compared with two homogeneous group of patients treated in two different centers with HA injections, one group was treated with injections of High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan and the other group was treated with Low Molecular Weight Hyaluronan. IKDC and EQ-VAS scores were used for clinical evaluation and patient satisfaction and functional status were also recorded. Results: The comparison between the outcomes of the three groups was statistically significative (p\0,0005), reporting a superiority of PRP group at any times of F-up. Conclusions: Autologous PRP injections demonstrated more and longer efficacy than HA injections in reducing pain, symptoms and recovering articular function in patients affected by severe chondropathies of the knee.