Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) have received considerable consideration as good potential nonsurgical treatment options for knee OA. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of PRP and HA injections in the treatment of knee OA.
Patients and Methods: In this prospective randomized clinical study, Three weekly intra-articular injections were given to 40 individuals with knee OA (20 had PRP and 20 had HA). Clinical evaluations were conducted prior to and four weeks after the third injection. In every evaluation, goniometer-measured knee flexion ROM, Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) OA index, and pain assessment using the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were calculated.
Results: At the four-week follow-up, Active knee ROM rose from 90 ± 9.32 to 97.5 ± 9.8 (P = 0.0002) in the HA group and from 93 ± 9.67 to 102.25 ± 7.34 in the PRP group (P = 0.0000). Both groups' VAS pain and WOMAC subscale scores were considerably lower at the four-week follow-up (P = 0.001). The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant in terms of WOMAC subscale scores. However, a statistically significant improvement in VAS pain scores in the PRP group compared to the HA group was noted (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Both intra-articular PRP and HA injections for knee OA improved clinical outcomes. However, individuals who received intra-articular PRP injections had a higher likelihood of pain relief at 4 weeks than those who received intra-articular HA injections.