300 Section - Platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of moderate knee osteoarthritis: a single-center, 10-year retrospective study

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment of moderate (grades II and III) knee osteoarthritis (KOA) shows promise for managing chronic osteoarthritic knee pain and improving the function of joints that don't respond to conventional medical management.

Design:

The retrospective single‐center cohort study of patients with moderate KOA treated with ultrasound‐guided PRP treatments was conducted in the Center for Regeneration and Rehabilitation, Novi Pazar, Serbia, from September 2015 to October 2025. KOA severity was assessed using radiography. The Western Ontario and McMaster University Arthritis Index (WOMAC) tool was used before PRP treatments and at two months, six months, one year, and two years after the PRP treatments in 4,200 patients. An anteromedial approach was used with a 21-G needle under sterile conditions during the procedure. The outcomes observed were pain, stiffness, physical function, joint mobility, and cartilage thickness, and the total WOMAC score was calculated.

Results:

The study demonstrated that therapeutic success was achieved in 3,568 out of 4,200 interventions (84.9%) within a two-month period. Subsequent follow-up evaluations indicated that, among patients who experienced a significant reduction in pain, 75% maintained this improvement at six months, and 72% sustained it at twelve months. The mean duration of the therapeutic effect of PRP treatment was 8.9 months. WOMAC scores revealed a statistically and clinically significant improvement at both three and six months, with these benefits persisting throughout the 12-month follow-up period. Furthermore, a six-week safety assessment confirmed a favorable safety profile for the intervention.

Conclusion:

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy demonstrated promising outcomes within the study population, achieving a success rate exceeding 84.9% among patients refractory to conventional medical management. Moreover, the intervention was well-tolerated, with a mean duration of therapeutic effect measured at 8.9 months, underscoring its potential as a viable and sustained treatment modality.