Comparative efficacy of platelet-rich plasma injection vs ultrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injection in the rehabilitation of hip osteoarthritis: an observational study.

BACKGROUND

Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been the subject of extensive study in knee osteoarthritis (OA), yet their effectiveness in hip OA has not been explored.

OBJECTIVE

To assess and evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of autologous PRP and hyaluronic acid (HA) in treating hip OA.

METHODS

Intra-articular injections were administered to 150 patients with hip osteoarthritis, and the patients were divided into two groups: PRP and HA. The evaluation of clinical outcomes was conducted using the Harris Hip Score (HHS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 3, 6, and 12 months. Outcomes were compared using regression analysis, repeated measure ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test.

RESULTS

The PRP group showed greater improvements in all scores ( < 0.05) compared to HA. PRP injection significantly reduced VAS and WOMAC scores [VAS score (MD 2.238, 95% CI 0.065-3.21) and WOMAC score (MD 1.033, 95% CI 0.06-1.526)], while HHS score increased (MD 1.02, 95% CI 0.06-1.126). IL-10 and VAS score showed a moderate correlation in the PRP group ( = 0.591). While statistical significance is indicated by the results, it is suggested that the changes in scores are small and may not be representative of any clinical significance.

CONCLUSION

It has been demonstrated by the findings of this study that pain and joint discomfort may be decreased by the administration of PRP injections, which may aid in the management of hip OA. However, there was no clinical difference between PRP and HA treatments.