Safety of intra-articular platelet rich plasma injections for large joint osteoarthritis: a review article

Abstract

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) use in intraarticular injections is thought to be potentially efficacious in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) and as an alternative to corticosteroid injections. However, little is known about the safety of PRP usage in the treatment of large joint osteoarthritis. In the 21 identified studies, there were primarily minor adverse effects include pain, redness, swelling, nausea, and dizziness. The limitations of this review include the relative paucity of well-designed studies that describe detailed adverse effects using safety as an outcome measure. Intraarticular injection of platelet-rich plasma has low risk of morbidity. This review describes the evidence for the short-term safety of intraarticular PRP injections and its derivations in the treatment of large joint OA (knee, hip, shoulder). Further investigation is needed to determine the short-term safety of PRP for use in the management of OA in the hip and shoulder, as well as the documentation of long-term safety in the shoulder, hip and knee.