PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) THERAPY FOR OSTEOARTHITIC KNEE PAIN

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is still one of the most common chronic joint pain seen in the hospital. Knee OA affects millions of people worldwide according to Mayo Clinic. In the Philippines, according to an epidemiological study with other Southeast Asian counterparts, OA of knee is underreported nationally, but prevalence of the disease is still apparent and usually seen with increasing age, weight, and is higher among women. It is one of the causes of chronic debilitating pain and musculoskeletal disability in which the cause is still unavoidable.

        There are a number of conventional treatment options including lifestyle changes, physical exercise, achieving healthy weight, rehabilitation therapy, medications and surgery. In a number of cases, there have been limitations in the effectiveness of management which brought about the interest in an alternative modality that is regenerative therapy.

      Regenerative or Proliferative therapy is a revolutionary, relatively new treatment that stimulates the body to heal/repair the painful area. The application of which has been safely used and well-documented in various medical fields both in Europe and the United States. It provides a promising alternative to surgery by promoting safe and natural healing.

           Recent studies have highlighted the use of specific growth factors as therapeutic proteins for cartilage repair and pain control in the early stages of osteoarthritis. They found out that particular proteins work promisingly in restoring metabolic balance within the joint.

           Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which contains a pool of growth factors, appears to offer an easy solution for delivering multiple growth factors needed for tissue repair and regeneration. In a prospective study, patients with grade 1 osteoarthritis reported having significantly lower pain scores and improvement with overall quality of life than those treated with placebo.

         In various studies comparing PRP with steroid most of them having two years follow-up showed that PRP has more potential benefit in the long term than steroids.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a component of one’s own blood that is rich in many growth factors that promotes healing various injuries. It is a simple and fast procedure that involves the injection of platelet rich plasma into the injured or degenerative area. The main action of PRP is tissue regeneration, anti-inflammatory, and to increase immunological activity on the affected area. The intention is to augment the native healing process at the site to control chronic pain which is vital to bone and soft tissue healing.

St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City Pain Management Center’s primary goal is to provide innovative and optimized pain control, as well as patient safety. Our clinic promotes PRP treatment in a group of well selected patients after careful examination and efficient assessment with the aid of diagnostic procedures like X-ray and ultrasound, among others. PRP therapy is a relatively fast outpatient procedure with very minimal adverse effect. Platelet rich plasma therapy is definitely one of the most promising in the center’s armamentarium.

To know more about PRP therapy, its use and indication, consult our expert doctors. Call the St. Luke's-Global City Pain Management Center at (632) 7897700 ext. 2093.

            Dr. Emmanuell Q. Villano is a consultant at the Pain Management Center of St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City. He specializes in interventional pain and palliative medicine, diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound, and regenerative and prolotherapy medicine