Comparison of Intra-articular Steroid and Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: This study aimed to compare the effects of intra-articular steroid (IAS) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections on femoral cartilage thickness and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: This research was designed as a retrospective study with propensity score matching and included 80 treatment-naive patients with knee OA. All patients' demographic characteristics and Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Short Form-36 (SF-36) scores before treatment, one month after treatment, and six months after treatment were recorded. Femoral cartilage thickness measurements were taken with ultrasonography. To determine the efficiency of IAS and PRP injections, data was collected before treatment, one month after treatment, and six months after treatment and then compared.

Results: All VAS values and WOMAC scores were significantly better one month and six months after treatment in both the IAS group and PRP group. However, IAS treatment was associated with significantly lower VAS scores during the night and during movement one month after treatment (p=0.044 and p=0.042). VAS at rest and the WOMAC scores one month after treatment were similar (p=0.435 and p=0.616). All VAS scores (night, rest, and movement) and WOMAC scores were comparable between groups six months after treatment (p=0.569, p=0.504, p=0.584, and p=0.441). There were no significant differences in femoral thickness at the eight measurement points between the groups at the follow-ups.

Conclusions: Our findings have shown that IAS and PRP injection treatments have a significantly positive effect on the pain and quality of life of patients with knee OA, although this positive effect for pain was significantly better for IAS at night and during movement at the one-month follow-up. Additionally, IAS and PRP injections had positive and comparable healing impacts on femoral cartilage thickness.