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Clinical outcomes are associated with changes in ultrasonographic structural appearance after platelet‐rich plasma treatment for knee osteoarthritis
Author(s) -
Ahmad Hamada S.,
Farrag Sherief E.,
Okasha Amr E.,
Kadry Aisha O.,
Ata Tamer B.,
Monir Amir A.,
Shady Ibrahim
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1756-185X
pISSN - 1756-1841
DOI - 10.1111/1756-185x.13315
Subject(s) - medicine , osteoarthritis , vascularity , platelet rich plasma , effusion , hyaluronic acid , clinical trial , visual analogue scale , joint effusion , intra articular , randomized controlled trial , clinical significance , ultrasonography , surgery , radiology , platelet , pathology , magnetic resonance imaging , alternative medicine , anatomy
Background Hyaluronic acid ( HA ) and platelet‐rich plasma ( PRP ) are two treatment options used for knee osteoarthritis ( KOA ) but studies comparing the efficacy of the two yield conflicting results. In addition, the association of clinical outcomes of PRP intra‐articular injections with changes in the ultrasonography structural appearance of the knee has not been investigated. Aim To compare the efficacy of PRP and HA intra‐articular injections as mono‐therapeutic options for primary KOA , and to determine whether the clinical outcomes are associated with changes in the ultrasonography structural appearance. Subjects and methods A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 89 patients with KOA . The patients were given either PRP ( n = 45) or HA ( n = 44) intra‐articular injections. The patients received three injections in the knee, which was more symptomatic at baseline evaluation, with a 2‐week interval between injections. The outcome measures included visual analog score – pain, International Knee Documentation Committee Score, and assessment of synovial hypertrophy, synovial vascularity and knee effusion using ultrasonography. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months post‐injection. Results While both PRP and HA injections resulted in the improvement of all outcome measures at 3 and 6 months follow up, they were significantly better in the PRP group than in the HA group. Conclusion Intra‐articular injection of PRP is an effective treatment that reduced pain and improved functional status in patients with KOA . The clinical outcomes of the intra‐articular injections of PRP are associated with improved synovial hypertrophy and vascularity scores, and less effusion.