AB142. 105. Platelet-rich plasma injections in hip osteoarthritis: a review

Background: Osteoarthritis is a significant cause of chronic pain in the elderly population with hip osteoarthritis one of the main causes of functional disability and joint pain in adults older than 55 years. Intra-articular injections are commonly used to alleviate symptoms, with steroid and hyaluronic acid injections used most frequently Recently, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections have been introduced for treatment of osteoarthritis. PRP has previously been shown to be effective in the treatment of tendinopathies and muscle tears. The goal of this study is to assess its effectiveness in the management of hip osteoarthritis.

Methods: We performed a search of PubMed and Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE) for published randomised-controlled studies that assessed the effectiveness of PRP injections in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis, with a minimum follow up of six months. Primary outcome measures were Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores.

Results: Five trials were identified with 185 patients undergoing treatment with ultrasound-guided intra-articular injections of PRP, compared to patients treated with hyaluronic acid alone (n=148) or hyaluronic acid combined with PRP (n=31) in one study. PRP was shown to improve patient outcome scores at follow up at 6 and 12 months compared to baseline, however there was no significant difference seen between patients treated with PRP or hyaluronic acid alone.

Conclusions: Platelet-rich plasma injections appear to offer a safe and effective treatment for hip osteoarthritis with improved patient outcomes up to 12 months following treatment.

Keywords: Arthritis; orthopaedic; osteoarthritis; platelet rich plasma (PRP)