Effectiveness of intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma versus triamcinolone in osteoarthritis of knee – A hospital-based randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the most common conditions which clinicians have to deal with in their day-to-day practice. There are various pharmacologic therapies recommended for OA knee. Intra-articular Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Intra-articular Triamcinolone have been shown to relieve pain and improve quality of life in patients with OA knee. This study is conducted to compare the effectiveness of PRP and Triamcinolone intra-articular injections in Grade 1 & 2 OA knee.We conducted a randomized control study including 70 patients with Grade 1 & 2 (Kellgrenn & Lawrence grading) OA knee. 35 patients each were divided into the PRP group and Triamcinolone group. Intra-articular PRP 5ml and Intra-articular Triamcinolone 80mg were injected twice 3 weeks apart. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by using VAS, KOOS, and WOMAC scores at 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of the follow-up period.At 3 weeks follow up both the groups showed similar results decreasing pain and improving quality of life. At 6 months follow-up, the PRP group showed better results, and the same effect was observed at 6 months of follow-up. Overall, the PRP group showed better VAS, KOOS, and WOMAC scores compared to the Triamcinolone group.In the present study both the groups showed improvement in function and reduction in pain in patients with Osteoarthritis of the knee but Triamcinolone had a short-term effect compared to PRP. The study showed the effect of intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma was better than triamcinolone in early osteoarthritis of the knee.