Effects of sports rehabilitation plus platelet-rich plasma treatment on knee cartilage injuries and the expression of inflammatory factors in synovial fluid: A cartilage injury model

Abstract

This research examined the efficacy of sports rehabilitation training plus platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for cartilage injuries of the knee (CIK) in athletes and its influence on the expression of inflammatory factors (IFs) in synovial fluid in a cartilage injury model. One hundred and four athletes with CIK were selected as the study population, and the selection time was between October 2019 and October 2022. The research (n = 53) and control (n = 51) groups underwent sports and traditional rehabilitation training interventions, respectively. Concurrently, PRP was injected into the affected knee joints of all patients in the research group. The curative effect, knee function (Hospital for Special Surgery [HSS] Knee Scoring System), and motor function (Tegner Activity Scale) in both groups were observed and compared. Furthermore, a rabbit CIK model was established. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed to identify pathological conditions and synovial fluid IFs (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α and interleukin [IL]-1β), respectively. The analysis revealed a remarkably higher total effective rate of treatment and notably elevated post interventional HSS and Tegner scores in the research group than in the controls. After modeling, the model group exhibited significant pathological conditions of CIK with overexpressed IFs (IL-1β and TNF-α) in synovial fluid. Conversely, pathologic conditions were obviously ameliorated and IFs were markedly suppressed after undergoing sports rehabilitation training, with better outcomes than traditional rehabilitation training. Therefore, sports rehabilitation training plus PRP can significantly improve CIK in athletes and consequently, knee and motor functions, while considerably mitigating and inhibiting the pathological effects of IFs in synovial fluid in the cartilage injury model.