A Prospective Observational Study of Platelet Rich Plasma as A Modality of Treatment for Primary Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and degenerative disease affecting around 250 million globally. It affects patients socially, psychologically and economically and rates of the disease have been increasing due to obesity and old age. In the United States, the estimated prevalence of OA is 12% compared to 8.1% in China, accounting for around 110 million OA patients globally. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective observational study, conducted among 50 patients (selected at conveniences) with knee osteoarthritis who were studied in the outpatient Department of Orthopaedics, Santhiram Medical College, Nandyal. An informed written consent was taken from all the participants. Patients were diagnosed using. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria of osteoarthritis. All patients were treated with 3 monthly intra-articular injections of autologous platelet-rich plasma into the knee joint, under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Results: After 6 months, all patients were re-evaluated according to Age, Sex, BMI (Body mass index), Side involved, Severity (Grade) of osteoarthritis, Pre and post-PRP injection comparison of crepitus, local temperature, Joint line tenderness, Effusion, Range of motion, Visual Analog Scale for pain, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score(Table 2). The maximum and minimum age in this study was found to be 41 years and 70 years. The average age of the patients was calculated as the total age of patients/ no. Of patients = 52.68 yrs. Out of 100 patients, 64 were females, and 56 were males Out of 100 knee joints treated, 56 were the right side and 44 were the left side. 64 patients were found to be overweight, 24 were obese, and 12 were normal weight. The grading of osteoarthritis of the knee.Conclusion: PRP procedure showed a higher degree of efficacy as well as significant findings of more and longer pain reduction, improved function, and patient satisfaction. This was particularly noticeable in the treatment of younger patients with less severe articular cartilage degeneration. All of the comparative studies suggest that PRP injections are a useful approach and an alternative in the treatment of OA. This minimally invasive procedure appears to be safe and effective. It could be utilized as a reasonable treatment option when other therapies fail or are inappropriate for the particular patient.