ArticleJournal of orthopaedic case reports2026
Efficacy of Intra-Articular Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Growth Factor Concentrate in Degenerative Meniscal Lesions.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic case reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Introduction: Degenerative meniscal lesions are common in early knee osteoarthritis (OA) and represent a principal structural cause of pain and functional impairment. Conventional treatments offer palliative relief without retarding structural deterioration. Intra-articular orthobiologics - platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and growth factor concentrate (GFC) - have gained prominence as restorative therapies. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical and radiological efficacy of intra-articular PRP versus GFC injections in patients with degenerative meniscal lesions in Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) Grade I and II knee OA. Materials and Methods: Fifty-four patients aged 41-78 years presenting with symptomatic K-L Grade I/II knee OA and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-confirmed degenerative meniscal tears were randomized into three parallel groups (n = 18/group): Group A (PRP), Group B (GFC), and Group C (Normal Saline control). All patients received two injections spaced 4 weeks apart. Clinical pain and functional disability were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC) at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 9 months. Radiological meniscal integrity was quantified through whole-organ MRI score (WORMS) at baseline and 9 months. Results: At baseline, demographic and clinical scores were comparable across all three arms (P > 0.05). At 9-month follow-up, the GFC group demonstrated the greatest clinical improvement, with VAS pain scores reducing by 42.35% (from 6.21 ± 0.71 to 3.58 ± 0.74), significantly outperforming the PRP group (19.27% reduction, from 6.33 ± 0.69 to 5.11 ± 0.77) and the control group (+17.67% deterioration; P < 0.0001). WOMAC functional scores decreased by 32.44% in the GFC group (59.16 ± 8.26-39.97 ± 6.21) versus 20.56% in the PRP group (59.58 ± 8.72-47.33 ± 7.05) and +8.53% worsening in controls (P < 0.0001). Structural evaluation through WORMS revealed marked improvement in both active arms (GFC: -42.25%; PRP: -40.22%) compared to control (-2.25%; P < 0.0001), with no significant difference between GFC and PRP. Conclusion: Intra-articular GFC achieves superior analgesic and functional outcomes compared to PRP in early degenerative meniscal disease. Both biologic therapies promote comparable structural stabilization and reduction of joint effusion on MRI. GFC represents a potent, acellular, minimally invasive orthobiologic option for joint preservation.
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