Use of platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of advanced osteoarthritis in the elderly.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent disease, especially in the elderly population, with diverse etiologies and difficult treatment. The search for minimally invasive treatments has become a challenge for the medical community. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been an effective, cost-effective option with low risks for patients, as it is an autologous product and can also be used in patients with high surgical risk. Objective: To evaluate the use of PRP in the treatment of advanced knee osteoarthritis. Methodology: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical study that evaluated 68 patients and 106 knees with grade 3 and 4 osteoarthritis. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Socell CAAE 770323240000.0317. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon tests were used. Results: In all knees treated with PRP, there was an improvement in pain assessed by the VAS scale (7.95 versus 0.97) p < 0.001 and WOMAC for pain (36.5 to 7.03) p<0.001; stiffness (20 to 4.03) p<0.001 and physical function (24.82 to 9.6) p<0.001. Discussion: PRP is a safe, effective, low-cost technique that significantly reduces patient pain and also restores knee function at one-year follow-up. Conclusion: PRP reduces pain and restores knee function in patients with advanced osteoarthritis.