Three Doses of Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Are More Effective Than One Dose of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Purpose This study aims to compare the efficacy of a single dose of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) with multiple doses of PRP therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, grey literature and bibliographic references were searched from inception to May 2022. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of single versus multiple doses of PRP for KOA were included. Literature retrieval and data extraction were conducted by three independent reviewers. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were based on type of study, research subjects, intervention, outcome, language and availability of data. Pooled analysis of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores and adverse events were conducted. Results Seven studies (all RCTs) of high methodological quality involving 575 patients were included. Age of patients included in this study ranged from 20 to 80, with a balanced gender ratio. Single dose PRP therapy resulted in significantly better VAS scores compared to triple dose PRP therapy at 12 months (P<0. 0001), with no significant change in VAS scores between double and single dose PRP at 12 months. Regarding adverse events, double dose (P=0.28) and triple dose (P=0.24) therapy had no significant differences in safety from single dose therapy. Conclusion While there is a paucity of large high-quality Level I studies, current best evidence suggests that two or three doses of PRP for KOA are as effective as one dose of PRP at providing pain relief and improvement in function up to 1 year following administration.