Prior Funding

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent cause of disability in older adults. Due to the lack of disease-modifying therapies to prevent OA progression, joint replacement is often the only choice for patients with late-stage disease. The need for alternatives to total joint replacement has led to the exploration of non-surgical options, including intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) administration. However, the current results on the effect of PRP in the treatment of knee OA are inconclusive, in part because of the high variability in PRP preparations and the limited information about the relevant components of PRP that impact clinical response. This study aims to define the effects and efficacy of PRP as a treatment for knee OA. To this end, we will use state-of-the-art technologies to analyze PRP preparations used to treat patients with knee OA. We will then establish correlations between the composition and the biologic activity of PRP with clinical outcomes in patients receiving PRP injections for knee OA. Ultimately, the results obtained in this study will increase our understanding of how the biologic activity of PRP affects knee joint health, and will enable us to implement precision medicine approaches to treat knee OA and other orthopedic conditions.