Patient Factors Associated with the Good Outcome after a Single Injection of Plasma-Rich Growth Factors in Patients with Osteoarthritic Knee
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56929/jseaortho-2026-0288Keywords:
PRGF, Osteoarthritic Knee, predictive factors, good outcome, 12 monthsAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate patient factors for a good outcome of a single intra-articular (IA) plasma-rich growth factor (PRGF) 12 months after injection in patients with varying severities of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score.
Methods: Patients with mild-to-severe KOA who received a single IA PRGF injection at an outpatient clinic were eligible to participate in this study. An observational analytical cohort study and clinical evaluation using WOMAC scores for the baseline and five follow-up periods were performed. A good outcome was defined as ≥50% improvement in pain or in function of WOMAC score at 12 months after injection compared to baseline. Logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with good outcomes of a single IA PRGF injection.
Results: A total of 215 knees with osteoarthritis (OA) were recruited in this study; 30.7% of them had severe KOA. The mean age of the participants was 65.26 ±7.96 years (range; 41-87 years), and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.74 ±3.56 kg/m2 (range; 17-38 kg/m2) The mean difference in WOMAC scores between baseline and at 12 months after injection were 82.71±36.53 in good response group and 23.20±30.15 in short response group. Overall, 72.56% of the participants had good outcomes. Multivariate analysis revealed that demographic patient factors, including age, sex, and BMI, did not affect good outcomes. Hypertension (HT) and KOA severity were significant negative factors associated with good outcomes.
Conclusions: 72.56% of the patients had good outcome in terms of WOMAC score improvement in pain or function, 72.56% of the patients had good outcomes 12 months after a single injection of IA PRGF. The patient factors that negatively affected good outcomes were not only underlying diseases, including HT, but also KOA severity. Further clinical studies should be conducted to obtain more details on HT, including severity, disease control, and treatment, which may have affected our results.
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