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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2025; 35(01): 010-016
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788554
Original Article

Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Treatment of Sports-Related Meniscal Injuries

Prabakar Singh Raju
1   Department of Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Tamil Nadu Government Multi-Super-Specialty Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Makesh Ram Sriraghavan 
1   Department of Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Tamil Nadu Government Multi-Super-Specialty Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Pazhani Jayaraman
1   Department of Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Tamil Nadu Government Multi-Super-Specialty Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Bheeshma Balasubramaniam
1   Department of Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Tamil Nadu Government Multi-Super-Specialty Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Karthik Shanmugavel Karuppiah
1   Department of Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Tamil Nadu Government Multi-Super-Specialty Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Poornima Kumararaja
2   Department of Pathology, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Purpose Meniscal injuries are a common occurrence in sports-related activities, often leading to pain, reduced joint function, and impaired athletic performance. This study aimed to evaluate the role of ultrasound-guided intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-rich fluid injection which was obtained through serial centrifugation in the treatment of meniscal injuries resulting from sports activities.

Materials and Methods A prospective study was conducted involving 54 cases with grade I, II, and III meniscal injuries, aged 18 and 43 years. PRP-rich fluid was prepared by subjecting autologous blood samples to a two-step centrifugation process. Patients were assessed pretreatment and at regular intervals posttreatment.

Results Patients reported reduced pain and improved joint functionality following treatment. Average age of the patients was 34.4 years, and average follow-up period was 275.1 days. It is noteworthy that no cases of bilateral meniscal injuries were identified; indicating that the focus was primarily on single knee injuries. Predominance of grade II injuries suggests that the PRP intervention might be particularly effective in addressing more severe meniscal tears.

Conclusion The results of our study provide compelling evidence for the positive impact of PRP augmentation in meniscus repair. Our findings indicate that PRP therapy has the potential to bring about substantial benefits for individuals with meniscus tears of the knee, particularly in terms of pain relief and enhanced functional capabilities.

Keywords

meniscal injuries - sports activity - joint function - athletic performance - platelet-rich plasma - autologous - centrifugation - knee injuries


Publication History

Article published online:
16 July 2024

© 2024. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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