Effect of platelet-rich plasma injections versus placebo on pain and quality of life in patients with hip osteoarthritis: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial

Objectives

This study aims to compare the efficacy of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections over a saline placebo in terms of reduction of pain and impact on quality of life among patients with hip osteoarthritis.

Patients and methods

A total of 60 patients (29 males, 31 females, mean age: 57.9±7.3 years; range, 47 to 69 years) with known hip osteoarthritis of Kellgren-Lawrance (KL) Grades 2/3 were randomized into placebo (n=30) and PRP groups (n=30) between June 2014 and June 2015. Both groups received intra-articular injections into the hip joint under ultrasound guidance for three consecutive weeks. The patients were followed for six months, and pain reduction was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire, and Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36).

Results

Intra-articular PRP treatment showed no advantage over a saline placebo in terms of VAS scores during activity. Both groups showed a significant improvement in VAS activity scores at one and six months. The placebo group showed improvements in VAS resting scores, whereas the PRP group did not. Both groups showed no improvement in WOMAC-total scores. Both groups showed no significant improvement across most SF-36 domains with the exception of improved physical role functioning at one month and general health at one and six months in the placebo group.

Conclusion

Intra-articular injections of PRP show no significant difference compared to a saline placebo over a period of six months on pain, function, and quality of life scores in patients with hip osteoarthritis.

The Use of Intra-articular Platelet-Rich Plasma as a Therapeutic Intervention for Hip Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is a cohort of patients in whom hip preservation surgery is not indicated, because they have developed signs of early osteoarthritis (OA), and nor can they have a hip replacement, as they are too early in the disease process. Management of this cohort of patients is not standardised and both pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures are utilised to reduce pain. Interventions available for early OA include intra-articular injections of steroids, viscosupplementation and more recently platelet-rich plasma (PRP). However, the use of PRP in hip OA has not yet been studied systematically.

PURPOSE

To assess intra-articular PRP as a therapeutic intervention for hip OA, including the duration of efficacy, influence of dose and composition of PRP, and the incidence of adverse effects.

STUDY DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS

We performed literature searches on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, WEB OF SCIENCE, COCHRANE, and SCOPUS databases, and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. Data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. We assessed the quality of the included studies using the methodological index for non-randomized studies instrument, with an additional assessment for randomized controlled trials with the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials. This is the first study to concisely collate the available data on the use of PRP in hip OA.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included in the analysis, with data from a total of 331 patients. PRP significantly reduced pain compared with the baseline at multiple time points, with the greatest effect at the 1- to 2-month follow-up, but PRP significantly improved function only at the 1- to 2-month follow-up. A significantly larger reduction in pain was achieved with a single injection of PRP compared with multiple injections, a total injected dose of PRP <15 mL compared with ≥15 mL, and use of a leukocyte-poor PRP preparation compared with leukocyte-rich PRP. There were no lasting adverse effects.

CONCLUSION

Low- and moderate-quality evidence suggests that PRP reduces pain and improves function at the end-point follow-up of studies compared with the baseline. Moderate-quality evidence suggests that a larger reduction in pain is achieved with a single injection of PRP compared with multiple injections, and low-quality evidence attributes a larger reduction of pain with a total injected dose of PRP <15 mL compared with ≥15 mL and using leukocyte-poor PRP compared with leukocyte-rich PRP.

Bone marrow aspirate injection for osteoarthritis of the hip; A pilot study

Objectives

Bone marrow aspirate (BMA) intra-articular injection is a minimally invasive orthobiologic treatment option for osteoarthritis (OA). Hip OA affects a significant portion of the population and has a paucity of data surrounding orthobiologic treatments. The primary objective of this study was to delineate the clinical impact of bone marrow aspirate intra-articular injections on decreasing pain and improving function in patients with hip OA.

Methods

A single-center, retrospective analysis of thirty-one patients, aged 32 to 83 (62.4 ​± ​16.5), with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) Hip OA grading of 2-4 (mean 2.9 ​± ​0.7), who underwent intra-articular bone marrow aspirate injection into the hip and were followed for twelve months. Evaluation was at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain and the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Jr (HOOS-Jr) for function. The proportion of responders, as defined by a ≥50% reduction in NRS pain score, was assessed at 12 weeks, 6 months and 12 months.

Results

At 6 and 12 months follow-up, there was a statistically significant improvement in NRS scores (P ​< ​0.05). Stratifying by KL grade, subjects with KL grades 2 and 3 experienced statistically significant improvement in NRS scores at 6 and 12 months. Patients with KL grade 4 showed significant improvement in pain at 12 months. Forty-two percent of patients at 6 months and 61% at 12 months reported ≥50% reduction in pain. When stratifying by KL grade, 80% and 71% of KL2 and KL3 grades respectively were responders by 12 months. Patients experienced statistically significant improvement in HOOS-Jr scores at 6 and 12 months.

Conclusion

In patient with mild, moderate, and severe hip OA, BMA may be an alternative treatment that improves pain and function in patients for as long as 12 months. In addition, BMA may also be an effective, lower cost option to more expensive BMAC preparations.

Orthobiologic Injections for the Treatment of Hip Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

The use of orthobiologics is gaining increasing interest as a minimally invasive treatment for hip osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to investigate the evidence about the safety and efficacy of these products. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines. The study quality was assessed using the RoB 2.0 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the modified Coleman Methodology Score (mCMS) for all studies. A total of 20 clinical studies (735 patients) was identified, 12 on PRP injections and eight on cell-based therapies (five from bone marrow, two from adipose tissue, and one from amniotic fluid). The publication trend increased over time, with over 50% of articles published from 2019. The literature analysis showed only six RCTs, all on PRP injections. The mCMS showed an overall fair methodology (mean score 59.4). While the number of studies and their methodology are still limited, the available evidence suggests safety and overall promising results, with the treatment success being inversely proportional to the severity of OA. Further high-level controlled trials are needed before drawing more definitive conclusions on the real potential of orthobiologics for the injective treatment of patients affected by hip OA.

Pain and functional outcomes of the sacroiliac joint after platelet-rich plasma injection: a descriptive review

The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight and review the status of literature regarding efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction. A review of the literature on PRP interventions on the SIJ or ligaments was performed. Seven studies had improvements in their respective primary end point and demonstrated a strong safety profile without any serious adverse events. Only five articles demonstrated clinical efficacy of >50% in their primary outcome measures. There appears to be inconsistent and insufficient evidence for a conclusive recommendation for or against SIJ PRP. There is a need for adequately powered well-designed, standardized, double-blinded randomized clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of PRP in SIJ-mediated pain.

Neuroimmune modulation of pain and regenerative pain medicine

Regenerative pain medicine, which seeks to harness the body's own reparative capacity, is rapidly emerging as a field within pain medicine and orthopedics. It is increasingly appreciated that common analgesic mechanisms for these treatments depend on neuroimmune modulation. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in mechanistic understanding of nociceptive sensitization in chronic pain with a focus on neuroimmune modulation. We also examine the spectrum of regenerative outcomes, including preclinical and clinical outcomes. We further distinguish the analgesic mechanisms of regenerative therapies from those of cellular replacement, creating a conceptual and mechanistic framework to evaluate future research on regenerative medicine.

Platelet Concentrates in Musculoskeletal Medicine

Platelet concentrates (PCs), mostly represented by platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) are autologous biological blood-derived products that may combine plasma/platelet-derived bioactive components, together with fibrin-forming protein able to create a natural three-dimensional scaffold. These types of products are safely used in clinical applications due to the autologous-derived source and the minimally invasive application procedure. In this narrative review, we focus on three main topics concerning the use of platelet concentrate for treating musculoskeletal conditions: (a) the different procedures to prepare PCs, (b) the composition of PCs that is related to the type of methodological procedure adopted and (c) the clinical application in musculoskeletal medicine, efficacy and main limits of the different studies.