Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is highly prevalent, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has emerged as a novel treatment option. Although PRP is promising, its effectiveness remains controversial. In Japan, PRP therapy is administered as a self-funded treatment in specialized clinics. Th...

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Main Authors: Yoshitomo Saita, Yohei Kobayashi, Sayuri Uchino, Hirofumi Nishio, Takanori Wakayama, Shin Fukusato, Yasumasa Momoi, Ryosuke Nakajima, Nanako Yamamoto, Shinnosuke Hada, Haruka Kaneko, Muneaki Ishijima
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Regenerative Therapy
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352320425000781
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author Yoshitomo Saita
Yohei Kobayashi
Sayuri Uchino
Hirofumi Nishio
Takanori Wakayama
Shin Fukusato
Yasumasa Momoi
Ryosuke Nakajima
Nanako Yamamoto
Shinnosuke Hada
Haruka Kaneko
Muneaki Ishijima
author_facet Yoshitomo Saita
Yohei Kobayashi
Sayuri Uchino
Hirofumi Nishio
Takanori Wakayama
Shin Fukusato
Yasumasa Momoi
Ryosuke Nakajima
Nanako Yamamoto
Shinnosuke Hada
Haruka Kaneko
Muneaki Ishijima
author_sort Yoshitomo Saita
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is highly prevalent, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has emerged as a novel treatment option. Although PRP is promising, its effectiveness remains controversial. In Japan, PRP therapy is administered as a self-funded treatment in specialized clinics. The National Regenerative Medicine Database (NRMD) was established to support the evaluation of regenerative therapies. This study aimed to analyze patient characteristics and treatment outcomes of PRP therapy for KOA in our hospital registered in NRMD database and to identify factors that influence therapeutic effectiveness. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed PRP treatment data for KOA in our hospital from January 2020 to May 2024 which was registered in the NRMD. Leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) was prepared using the MyCells kit, and patients received three injections at 3- to 5-week intervals. The eligibility criteria included chronic knee pain unresponsive to conservative treatment for KOA. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for knee pain were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests, logistic regression, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: A total of 2068 patients (2815 knees) were included. The average age was 65.2 years, and there were more female than male patients. PRP therapy significantly improved the VAS scores from 53.5 at baseline to 35.8 at 6 months (P < 0.05). Patients with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 4 showed less improvement than those with KL grades 2 and 3. Blood neutrophil levels positively correlated with pain severity. VAS improvement negatively correlated with age and body mass index (BMI). No major adverse events were reported during the study period. Conclusion: PRP therapy for KOA, as observed in the clinical setting in Japan, is a safe treatment option with significant pain reduction, particularly in patients with less severe deformity of KOA. However, its effectiveness decreases in severe deformity cases. These real-world clinical data provide valuable insights for refining the patient selection criteria and advancing KOA treatment strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-862d38f7f0be482a8b4d0d2767b521222025-08-20T02:15:37ZengElsevierRegenerative Therapy2352-32042025-06-012942743410.1016/j.reth.2025.04.002Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in JapanYoshitomo Saita0Yohei Kobayashi1Sayuri Uchino2Hirofumi Nishio3Takanori Wakayama4Shin Fukusato5Yasumasa Momoi6Ryosuke Nakajima7Nanako Yamamoto8Shinnosuke Hada9Haruka Kaneko10Muneaki Ishijima11Department of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine for Locomotive Organ, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Corresponding author. Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.Department of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine for Locomotive Organ, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine for Locomotive Organ, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine for Locomotive Organ, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine for Locomotive Organ, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine for Locomotive Organ, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8431, JapanIntroduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is highly prevalent, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has emerged as a novel treatment option. Although PRP is promising, its effectiveness remains controversial. In Japan, PRP therapy is administered as a self-funded treatment in specialized clinics. The National Regenerative Medicine Database (NRMD) was established to support the evaluation of regenerative therapies. This study aimed to analyze patient characteristics and treatment outcomes of PRP therapy for KOA in our hospital registered in NRMD database and to identify factors that influence therapeutic effectiveness. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed PRP treatment data for KOA in our hospital from January 2020 to May 2024 which was registered in the NRMD. Leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) was prepared using the MyCells kit, and patients received three injections at 3- to 5-week intervals. The eligibility criteria included chronic knee pain unresponsive to conservative treatment for KOA. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for knee pain were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests, logistic regression, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: A total of 2068 patients (2815 knees) were included. The average age was 65.2 years, and there were more female than male patients. PRP therapy significantly improved the VAS scores from 53.5 at baseline to 35.8 at 6 months (P < 0.05). Patients with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 4 showed less improvement than those with KL grades 2 and 3. Blood neutrophil levels positively correlated with pain severity. VAS improvement negatively correlated with age and body mass index (BMI). No major adverse events were reported during the study period. Conclusion: PRP therapy for KOA, as observed in the clinical setting in Japan, is a safe treatment option with significant pain reduction, particularly in patients with less severe deformity of KOA. However, its effectiveness decreases in severe deformity cases. These real-world clinical data provide valuable insights for refining the patient selection criteria and advancing KOA treatment strategies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352320425000781Platelet rich plasmaKnee osteoarthritisNational regenerative medicine database in JapanReal-world data
spellingShingle Yoshitomo Saita
Yohei Kobayashi
Sayuri Uchino
Hirofumi Nishio
Takanori Wakayama
Shin Fukusato
Yasumasa Momoi
Ryosuke Nakajima
Nanako Yamamoto
Shinnosuke Hada
Haruka Kaneko
Muneaki Ishijima
Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan
Regenerative Therapy
Platelet rich plasma
Knee osteoarthritis
National regenerative medicine database in Japan
Real-world data
title Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan
title_full Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan
title_fullStr Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan
title_full_unstemmed Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan
title_short Platelet-rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis: Insights from real-world clinical data in Japan
title_sort platelet rich plasma therapy for knee osteoarthritis insights from real world clinical data in japan
topic Platelet rich plasma
Knee osteoarthritis
National regenerative medicine database in Japan
Real-world data
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352320425000781
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