Is the Combination of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Hyaluronic Acid the Best Injective Treatment for Grade II-III Knee Osteoarthritis? A Prospective Study. (10th March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ciapini, Gianluca; Simonettii, Matteo; Giuntoli, Michele; Varchetta, Giorgio; De Franco, Silvia; Ipponi, Edoardo; Scaglione, Michelangelo; Parchi, Paolo Domenico
• Other Names: Rovere Giuseppe Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Advances in orthopedics. Volume 2023(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-03-10
• Subjects: Orthopedics -- Periodicals; Orthopedics; Orthopedic Procedures; Orthopedics; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.7
• DOI: 10.1155/2023/1868943
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-3464

Abstract

Abstract : Background . Knee osteoarthritis is a common disease with increasing incidence and prevalence in western countries. It can cause severe pain and functional limitations, thereby representing a threat for patients' quality of life and a burden for national health systems. Intra-articular injections with hyaluronic acid (HA) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have been used for decades in order to reduce the symptoms caused by osteoarthritis. In recent years, a combination of HA and PRP has been introduced in clinical practice with the aim to minimize the clinical presentation of osteoarthritis and potentially delay articular degeneration. Materials and Methods . Sixty cases with grade II-III knee osteoarthritis according to the Kellgren–Lawrence classification were included in a prospective study, focused on the evaluation of clinical and functional outcomes after intra-articular knee injections. Cases were randomly divided into three groups. Twenty cases (Group A ) were injected with HA, 20 (Group B ) had PRP, and the remaining 20 (Group C ) received a combination of HA and PRP. Basal WOMAC score and VAS score were recorded before the treatment and repeated within 3 and 6 months after the treatment. Results . At 6-month follow-up, Group C (PRP + HA) was the one with the lowest WOMAC and VAS mean values. It was also the only group that reported a reduction in the two values both in the first three months and in the following three months. No major complication was recorded. Conclusion . The combination of platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid can be effective in the treatment of grade II-III knee osteoarthritis in a short-to-mid-term scenario. It represents an innovative and valuable alternative to the administration of its two components alone.