Comparison of clinical outcome, cartilage turnover, and inflammatory activity following either intra-articular or a combination of intra-articular with intra-osseous platelet-rich plasma injections in osteoarthritis knee: A randomized, clinical trial

Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Evaluating the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis: Adherence to Minimum Information for Studies Evaluating Biologics in Orthopaedics

BACKGROUND

The Minimum Information for Studies Evaluating Biologics in Orthopedics (MIBO) guidelines were developed in May 2017 to encourage improved reporting standards, promote increased transparency and reproducibility, and enhance clinical evaluation capabilities. The MIBO guidelines consist of 23 checklist items considered necessary to critically appraise clinical studies evaluating platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

PURPOSE

To assess randomized controlled trials that evaluated PRP for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis in order to systematically review their adherence to the MIBO guidelines.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review. Level 1a.

METHODS

A search was performed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials reporting on knee osteoarthritis treated with intra-articular PRP. The studies were categorized into pre-, peri-, and post-MIBO groups based on the start date of data collection. The overall MIBO scores, defined as percentage of checklist items out of the 23 checklist items reported in 1 study, individual item scores, defined as percentage of studies reporting the checklist item within a specified group, and overall item score defined as the average of the individual item scores from all the included studies were calculated.

RESULTS

The review included 87 studies (7925 patients; 8118 knees). Of these, 51 studies were assigned to the pre-MIBO group, 19 studies to the peri-MIBO group, and 17 studies to the post-MIBO group. The overall MIBO score was 72%. No statistically significant differences in MIBO scores were found among the 3 MIBO groups (P = .345). The majority of the studies (62 studies; 71%) had MIBO scores <80%. MIBO items with particularly low item scores included reporting of whole-blood characteristics (20%), platelet recovery rate (22%), PRP analysis (30%), and PRP activation (47%). No significant difference among the 3 MIBO groups was found for the item scores except for the reporting of the recipient details (P = .012).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the deficiencies in adherence to the MIBO guidelines, particularly in reporting key variables such as whole-blood characteristics, platelet recovery rate, PRP analysis, and PRP activation. These findings suggest that the publication of the MIBO guidelines has not resulted in improved reporting practices in studies investigating intra-articular PRP for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with platelet-rich plasma are superior options for the treatment of osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND

There is currently no definitive treatment for osteoarthritis. We examined the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs), individually or in combination, in a rat model of anterior cruciate ligament-induced degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. This study seeks to advance clinical approaches to OA treatment.

METHODS

Eight- to nine-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to two groups: (1) a normal control group (Group A) and (2) a model group. The control group received no treatment. The model group underwent treatment and was further subdivided into six groups: Group B (an injury control group), Group C (high-dose ADSCs), Group D (PRP combined with high-dose ADSCs), Group E (low-dose ADSCs), Group F (PRP combined with low-dose ADSCs), and Group G (PRP alone). PRP and/or ADSCs were administered via intra-articular injection on Days 7, 37, and 67 post-surgery. Daily observations recorded activity levels and behavior, while weight changes were monitored weekly. Digital radiography (DR) was conducted on Days 30, 60, and 90 post-surgery to assess joint surface and contour alterations. Histopathological examination and inflammatory factor analysis were performed on cartilage and synovial tissue.

RESULTS

No abnormal reactions were observed in any rats, and body weights increased as expected (P > 0.05). Significant differences in knee swelling rates and Wakitani scores were observed between Groups A and B (P < 0.01). Knee swelling rates also differed significantly between Group B and Groups C-G (P < 0.01). Wakitani scores decreased on Days 60 and 90 in Groups C-G. TNF-α and IL-1β expression levels were significantly higher in Group B compared to Group A (P < 0.05). Expression levels of these genes were significantly lower in Groups C-G than in Group B (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Repeated intra-articular injections of PRP and ADSCs alleviated inflammation and pain, promoted tissue repair, and modulated immune responses in rats with surgically induced OA. The combination of PRP and ADSCs demonstrated enhanced therapeutic efficacy, suggesting its potential as a treatment option for OA.

Intra-articular and intraosseous approach to temporomandibular joint-targeted injections: a cadaveric investigation

PURPOSE

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) management is complex, and several conservative and minimally invasive protocols have been proposed. Intra-articular injections of medications directed at OA have been performed, but in some cases, these medications do not directly contact the tissue lesion sites. Here, we propose a new real-time ultrasound-guided technique to inject medications directly into the subchondral bone.

METHODS

Ultrasound image screening was carried out with the point-of-care Clarius L15 device. Then, with the patient's mouth closed, a stainless-steel cannula with a concentric trocar was US-guided using an in-plane approach until the perforating tip of the internal trocar touched the lateral pole of the mandibular condyle. Then, the trocar was inserted through the medullary bone, where a posterior injection was made.

RESULTS

The technique's precision was confirmed by capturing an iodine contrast solution that imaged the medullary condyle of fresh anatomical specimens processed by computed tomography.

CONCLUSION

The proposed technique was effective in accessing the mandibular condyle subchondral bone in the inferior TMJ space for the simultaneously intra-articular (IA) and intra-osseous (IO) in-plane US-guided injections. Thus, its implementation may represent an important advance in early TMJ-OA treatment. This may be a promising approach, especially in OA cases in which the cortical bone is still preserved.

Randomized Controlled Trials for Platelet-Rich Plasma Use in Knee Osteoarthritis Rarely Report Key Sociodemographic Patient Variables: A Scoping Review

Purpose

To investigate the characteristics and rate of sociodemographic variables reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

In January 2024, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were queried for the phrase "Platelet-Rich Plasma Knee Osteoarthritis." Included studies were RCTs investigating PRP use in knee OA published in English between 2012 and 2023. Each RCT was inspected for patient age and sex or gender as well as the following sociodemographic variables: race, ethnicity, insurance status, income, housing status, work status, and education. Data were presented in a descriptive fashion and analyzed using χ2 test and Fisher's exact test to compare 2 and 3 categorical variables, respectively, with significance defined as P < .05.

Results

From 2012 through 2023, 71 RCTs met inclusion criteria. Included publications reported both age and sex or gender in 71/71 papers (100%). Reporting rates for other sociodemographic variables were as follows: race (3/71, 4.23%), work status (5/71, 7.04%), and education (3/71, 4.23%). No studies included the ethnicity, insurance status, income, or housing status of the enrolled patients. There was no difference in reporting sociodemographic variables by journal (P = .083) or by year of publication (P = .340). Sociodemographic variables were reported significantly less frequently than age and sex or gender (P < .001).

Conclusions

In this study, we found that age and sex or gender are always reported in RCTs of PRP use for knee OA. However, other sociodemographic variables, such as race, work status, and education, that may be important to understand are rarely reported.

Clinical Relevance

Sociodemographic variables may affect outcomes in knee osteoarthritis. It is important to understand which of these variables are most studied and which variables are most overlooked. This will help us better understand the quality of the available information.

Unveiling MRI-based structural phenotypes in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis: implications for clinical practice and research

INTRODUCTION

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disease characterized by the gradual degradation of cartilage, remodeling of subchondral bone, synovitis, and chronic pain. This condition impacts various large and small joints, including the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). However, addressing OA, particularly in impeding or reducing disease progression, is challenging due to its clinical and imaging heterogeneity. Authors are increasingly suggesting that this heterogeneity involves different phenotypes or subpopulations, discernible by variations in the disease's pathophysiology and structural manifestations. Even within the TMJ, these phenotypes may display distinct clinical features, laboratory parameters, biochemical markers, and imaging criteria. Recent research has proposed MRI as a reference standard for TMJ OA, highlighting its substantial agreement with histopathological changes. MRI-based phenotypes offer a promising avenue for understanding disease progression and treatment response, potentially providing valuable insights for prognosis and treatment planning.

OBJECTIVE

This article introduces the ROAMES-TMJ (Rapid OsteoArthritis MRI Eligibility Score for TMJ) to assess the structural eligibility of individuals for inclusion in TMJ OA clinical trials.

Efficacy of Intraoperative Platelet-Rich Plasma After Meniscal Repair: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Meniscal injuries frequently require surgical intervention to restore knee joint function and stability. Intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy to enhance tissue healing post-meniscal repair. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PRP in terms of pain relief, functional recovery, and overall success rates in patients undergoing meniscal repair procedures.

Methods

A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies across Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. The inclusion criteria encompassed human studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohorts, and case-control studies, focusing on intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) use post-meniscal repair and reporting outcomes related to pain, functionality, and cure rates. Exclusion criteria comprised animal studies, non-English publications, studies lacking relevant outcome measures, and those with insufficient data. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, resolving disagreements through consensus or consultation with a third reviewer, followed by a full-text assessment for potentially eligible studies. Data extraction was conducted independently by two reviewers using a standardized form. The reliability of observational studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Subgroup analyses and pooled effect estimates for main outcomes were computed using RevMan 5.3, a meta-analysis tool.

Results

The demographic analysis revealed that the PRP group had an average age of 41.39 years, while the control group had an average age of 42.1 years. In terms of gender distribution, the PRP group consisted of 61 men and 29 women, while the control group had 62 men and 34 women. Pain ratings showed a preference for PRP with a mean difference of 4.83 (p = 0.13). However, there was no significant difference in Lysholm scores (mean difference: - 0.44, p = 0.91) or IKDC scores (mean difference: 2.80, p = 0.14) between the PRP and control groups. Similarly, ROM measures did not show a statistically significant difference, with a mean difference of 2.80 (p = 0.18). Additionally, there was no significant distinction in failure rates between the PRP and control groups, as indicated by a weighted mean difference of 0.71 (p = 0.52). These findings suggest that while PRP may offer some benefits in pain relief, its impact on functional recovery, range of motion, and failure rates following meniscal repair procedures is inconclusive.

Conclusion

The current evidence regarding the effect of intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on patients undergoing meniscal repair remains inconclusive. While some studies suggest potential benefits in terms of pain relief and functional recovery, others show no significant differences compared to control groups. The impact of PRP therapy on overall success rates, including rates of re-tear and revision surgery, is also uncertain. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed to provide more robust evidence and guide clinical practice in orthopedic surgery.

Most Publications Regarding Platelet-Rich Plasma Use in the Knee Are From Asia, Investigate Injection for Osteoarthritis, and Show Outcome Improvement: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

To evaluate and synthesize the available literature related to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment of knee pathologies and to provide recommendations to inform future research in the field.

METHODS

PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases were queried on October 6, 2023. All identified citations were collated and uploaded into Covidence for screening and data extraction. Studies were included if they were human studies published in English with adult cohorts that received PRP as a procedural injection or surgical augmentation for knee pathologies with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and level of evidence Levels I-IV.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 2,615 studies, of which 155 studies from 2006 to 2023 met the inclusion criteria. Median follow-up was 9 months (±11.2 months). Most studies (75.5%) characterized the leukocyte content of PRP, although most studies (86%) did not use a comprehensive classification scheme. In addition, most studies were from Asia (50%) and Europe (32%) and were from a single center (96%). In terms of treatment, 74% of studies examined PRP as a procedural injection, whereas 26% examined PRP as an augmentation. Most studies (68%) examined treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Many studies (83%) documented significant improvements in PROMs, including 93% of Level III/IV evidence studies and 72% of Level I/II evidence studies, although most studies (70%) failed to include minimal clinically important difference values. The visual analog scale was the most-used PROM (58% of studies), whereas the Short Form Health Survey 36-item was the least-used PROM (5% of studies).

CONCLUSIONS

Most published investigations of knee PRP are performed in Asia, investigate procedural injection for osteoarthritis, and show significant outcome improvements. In addition, this review highlights the need for better classification of PRP formulations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, scoping Review of level I-IV studies.

Loss of effective lubricating viscosity is the primary mechanical marker of joint inflammation in equine synovitis

Inflammation of the synovium, known as synovitis, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Synovitis involves the release of a wide variety of pro-inflammatory mediators in synovial fluid (SF) that damage the articular cartilage extracellular matrix and induce death and apoptosis in chondrocytes. The composition of synovial fluid is dramatically altered by inflammation in OA, with changes to both hyaluronic acid and lubricin, the primary lubricating molecules in SF. However, the relationship between key biochemical markers of joint inflammation and mechanical function of SF is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate the application of a novel analytical framework to measure the effective viscosity for SF lubrication of cartilage, which is distinct from conventional rheological viscosity. Notably, in a well-established equine model of synovitis, this effective lubricating viscosity decreased by up to 10,000-fold for synovitis SF compared to a ~4 fold change in conventional viscosity measurements. Further, the effective lubricating viscosity was strongly inversely correlated (r = -0.6 to -0.8) to multiple established biochemical markers of SF inflammation, including white blood cell count, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ), and chemokine ligand (CCLs) concentrations, while conventional measurements of viscosity were poorly correlated to these markers. These findings demonstrate the importance of experimental and analytical approaches to characterize functional lubricating properties of synovial fluid and their relationships to soluble biomarkers to better understand the progression of OA.

The Combined Intraosseous Administration of Orthobiologics Outperformed Isolated Intra-articular Injections in Alleviating Pain and Cartilage Degeneration in a Rat Model of MIA-Induced Knee Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND

Intra-articular (IA) platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) injections have shown efficacy and safety in treating osteoarthritis (OA). However, the effectiveness and mechanisms of combined intraosseous (IO) administration of these orthobiologics have yet to be explored.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect on pain, cartilage, synovium/infrapatellar fat pad (IFP), and subchondral bone in rat knee OA, comparing isolated IA with combined IA and IO (IA+IO) injections of PRP or BMAC. It was hypothesized that combined injections would be superior to sole IA injections.

STUDY DESIGN

Controlled laboratory study.

METHODS

A total of 48 rats were divided into 6 groups: sham (only joint puncture during OA induction with IA+IO saline injection treatment) and 5 groups with OA induction, control (IA+IO saline injection), PRP (IA PRP+IO saline injection), BMAC IA (IA BMAC+IO saline injection), PRP IA+IO (IA+IO PRP injection), and BMAC IA+IO (IA+IO BMAC injection). OA was induced by IA injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). Rats were administered different orthobiologics according to their grouping 3 weeks after the MIA injection. Pain changes were evaluated using the weightbearing ratio assay at weeks 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 after OA induction. Rats were euthanized at week 9 for gross, radiological, histological, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence assessments of cartilage, synovium, and subchondral bone.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, all orthobiologics injection groups had reduced joint pain. Compared with IA injection, IA+IO injections provided superior pain relief by suppressing calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P in both the synovium/IFP and subchondral bone. IA+IO injections slowed the progression of subchondral bone lesions by inhibiting CD31hiEmcnhi vessel formation and excessive osteoclast and osteoblast turnover while preserving subchondral bone microarchitecture, slowing cartilage degeneration. However, IA+IO injections did not outperform isolated IA injections in reducing synovitis and synovium/IFP fibrosis. Compared with PRP, BMAC exhibited superior inhibition of pain-related mediators, but no significant differences were observed in synovitis suppression, infrapatellar fat pad fibrosis, and subchondral bone protection.

CONCLUSION

IA+IO injections of orthobiologics were more effective in relieving pain, slowing cartilage degeneration, and inhibiting abnormal vascularization and remodeling compared with isolated IA injections. BMAC showed superior pain relief in the synovium/IFP and subchondral bone compared with PRP. Further research is needed to optimize PRP and BMAC components for enhanced efficacy in OA management.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Our findings contribute to advancing the understanding of pain relief mechanisms and support the endorsement of IO injection of orthobiologics for the treatment of OA and joint pain.