ArticleThe archives of bone and joint surgery2021
Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Intra-Articular Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma versus Hyaluronic Acid for Knee Osteoarthritis: Results of an Open-Label Trial.
Article in The archives of bone and joint surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Randomized Controlled Trials Studying Nonoperative Treatments of Osteoarthritis Often Use Misleading and Uninformative Control Groups: A Systematic Review.Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2025Pooled it
- A meta-analysis and systematic review of the clinical efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma combined with hyaluronic acid (PRP + HA) versus PRP monotherapy for knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma combined with hyaluronic acid versus platelet-rich plasma alone for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2022Pooled it
- Subchondral Bone Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2026Article
- Platelet rich plasma compared to viscosupplementation in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials with 6 month and 12 month follow-up.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Review
- Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Narrative Review of the Mechanisms, Preparation Protocols, and Clinical Evidence.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Mean Platelet Volume in Blood vs. Platelet-Rich Plasma: Demographic Analysis and Intrasubject Variability in PRP Therapy.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2025Article
- The Role of Intraarticular Injections of Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Articular Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2025Article
- Safety and Effectiveness of a Novel Liposomal Intra-Articular Lubricant in Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A First-in-Human Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Comparison of Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection in Knee Osteoarthritis: Do the Results Differ in Geriatric Patients? A Retrospective Observational Study.Annals of geriatric medicine and research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP), an autologous source of growth factors, and hyaluronic acid (HA) are among the minimally invasive treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA). This trial was designed to compare the effectiveness of intra-articular injection of PRP with HA (as one of the standard treatments) on mild to moderate knee OA.
methodsIn this phase I open-label clinical trial, 10 patients underwent intra-articular PRP injection and 10 others received HA injection. At baseline (pre-injection) visit and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-injection, clinical assessments were performed using visual analogue scale (VAS) and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire. Physical examinations of the knee, including crepitation and range of motion (ROM) were performed at each visit. The follow-up responses were compared with the baseline visit.
resultsThe PRP treatment was ascertained to be safe and caused no adverse effects. Significant improvements in the majority of KOOS subscales and VAS were found throughout the entire 12-month follow-up, following the PRP injections. HA injection, however, caused only one month significant improvement in the majority of patient-reported outcomes. In the majority of visits, the extent of improvements in the scores of KOOS subscales, as well as the extent of reduction in VAS were significantly greater in PRP recipients, compared to HA recipients. The ROM in both groups slightly increased after interventions. The frequency of coarse crepitation, which was detected in 100% of the patients in both groups at the baseline visit, decreased significantly to fine crepitation at the first follow-up visit in 80% and 40% of the PRP and HA recipients, respectively.
conclusionIntra-articular injection of PRP or HA alleviates symptoms and pain and improves functionality and physical examinations in patients with knee OA. However, PRP therapy produces greater and longer-lasting improvements in most of the outcome parameters compared to HA.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.