THE EFFICACY OF PLATELET-RICH PLASMA VERSUS VISCOSUPPLEMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Background: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and knee joint is the most common joint affected. There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but the condition doesn’t necessarily get any worse over time and a number of treatments are available to help relieve the symptoms. Lubrication or viscosupplement injections provide the joint extra lubrication and shock absorption, as well as decrease friction within the joint which may slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Biological therapies such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), have been proposed to improve clinical and structural outcomes by delivering a high concentration of growth factors that mediate healing and remodeling. Patients and methods: in this study; 30 patients were randomly allocated into three groups; the 1st group received PRP, the 2nd received viscosupplement and the 3rd group received local anaesthetic as a control group. Results are evaluated clinically using visual analogue of pain scale and modified hospital for special surgery score at 2, 4 and 6 months. Conclusion: Both PRP and viscosupplement injection are safe and effective treatment options for knee osteoarthritis, with PRP being more cost effective and more physiological