Intra-articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Treating Knee Pain Associated with Articular Cartilage and Degenerative Meniscal Lesions

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous concentration of platelets that contain a large number of growth factors. These growth factors play a role in the regeneration, repair, and acceleration of the biochemical process, thereby reducing the pain associated with injuries of the articular cartilage and meniscus AIM: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the PRP method in the treatment of knee joint cartilage injuries and degenerative meniscus lesions as well as pain relief. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The process of obtaining PRP begins by taking 15 ml of blood from the patient with a special system called Arthrex Double Syringe system. The test tube is centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 5 minutes. From the separated plasma, 5-6 ml PRP is taken and prepared for application. PRP is administered intra-articularly. RESULTS: At the Jan Mitrev Clinic in Skopje in 2018, PRP procedures were performed on 126 patients, 56 (44.4%) of whom were male, and 70 (55.6%) were female. The patients were evaluated by the Tegner Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (TLKSS) before applying 3 doses of PRP for 7 days as well as 3 and 6 months after the application of PRP. The results showed considerable improvement 3 months after the PRP application, and 6 months after the application the results remained approximately identical. CONCLUSION: The application of PRP in the field of medicine is widely applied, and it will continue to be because the understanding of PRP therapy is increasingly refined. This therapy represents a potential and latest method in short-term pain reduction, but additional studies are needed to prove its long-term effectiveness.