Effect of platelet concentration on clinical improvement in treatment of early stage-knee osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma concentrations.
Bahar Dernek, Fatma Nur Kesiktas, Tahir Mutlu Duymus and 4 others
PMID 28603367WHAT IT FOUND
Both a low-concentration and a high-concentration platelet-rich plasma kit reduced knee pain and stiffness by more than half in patients with early osteoarthritis.
The higher platelet count offered no additional clinical benefit over the lower one at six months.
Key findings
01Patients in both groups showed a significant reduction in WOMAC scores of more than 50% compared to baseline.
02There was no significant difference in clinical outcomes between the group receiving the kit with 9-13 times platelet concentration and the group receiving the kit with 4-6 times platelet concentration.
03Visual Analogue Scale scores for pain decreased significantly in both groups, with no difference between the treatments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective, which limits the control over data collection and potential biases. The sample size was small (45 patients total). The study did not evaluate the biochemical changes or specific growth factor release from the PRP kits, only the clinical outcomes. The groups were not randomly assigned; patients received one kit or the other, which may introduce selection bias.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a higher platelet concentration in PRP leads to better pain relief or function. This study found no difference between a 4-6x concentration and a 9-13x concentration, so choosing a more expensive or high-concentration kit is not supported by these results.