Comparative analysis of the effectiveness and tolerance of intra-articular injection of platelet rich plasma vs hyaluronic acid and non-arthroscopic joint lavage in patientswith knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Background: Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common condition associated with pain and morbidity. The impact of this pathology makes it necessary to develop new procedures for joint regeneration. Regenerative treatments such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are being proposed as a safe alternative, capable of regenerating damaged tissues and improving the quality of life, reducing the need for surgical procedures (1-4). Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of PRP treatment vs Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and Non-Arthroscopic Joint Lavage (NAJL) in patients with KOA. Methods: It was performed a prospective, 3-months observational study of 51 patients with KOA, from the OA clinic of the Reina Sofía Hospital of Córdoba. Patients were treated according to clinical practice in 1 of the 3 treatment arms (PRP, HA, NAJL). Pain and disability were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of joint pain, WOMAC and OARSI. We compared the baseline data using simple ANOVA and chi-squared tests and the intra- and inter-group differences before and after treatment (0, 1 and 3 months) using the mixed ANOVA test. All comparisons were bilateral considering p≤0.05 as a significant result. Results: 51 patients were enrolled, of which 52.9% were female. The average age (±SD) was 58.47 ± 7.48 years.