UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review

Liddle, AD; Carlos Rodriguez-Merchan, E; (2015) Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Sports Medicine , 43 (10) pp. 2583-2590. 10.1177/0363546514560726. Green open access

[thumbnail of Liddle_PRP review AJSM for upload.pdf]
Preview
Text
Liddle_PRP review AJSM for upload.pdf

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is a major cause of morbidity in both high-level and recreational athletes. Whilst there is good evidence for the effectiveness of eccentric exercise regimens in its treatment, a large proportion of patients have disease which is refractory to such treatments. This has led to the development of novel techniques including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, which aims to stimulate a normal healing response within the abnormal patellar tendon. However, little evidence exists at present to support its use. PURPOSE:The aim of this systematic review was to determine the safety and effectiveness of PRP in the treatment of PT, and to quantify its effectiveness relative to other therapies for PT. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. A literature review was conducted of the Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases, as well as trial registries. Both single-arm and comparative studies were included. The outcomes of interest were pain (as measured by visual-analogue or other, comparable scoring systems), functional scores and return to sport. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the MINORS score (for non-randomised studies) and the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Eleven studies fitted the inclusion criteria. Of these, two were randomised, controlled trials (RCTs), and one was a prospective, non-randomised cohort study. The remainder were single-arm case series. All noncomparative studies demonstrated a significant improvement in pain and function following PRP injection. Complications and adverse outcomes were rare. The results of the comparative studies were inconsistent and superiority of PRP over control treatments could not be conclusively demonstrated. CONCLUSION: PRP is a safe and promising therapy in the treatment of recalcitrant PT. However, its superiority over other treatments such as physiotherapy remains unproven. Further RCTs are required to determine the relative effectiveness of the many available treatments for PT, and to determine the subgroups of patients who stand to gain the most from the use of these therapies.

Type: Article
Title: Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1177/0363546514560726
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546514560726
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Orthopedics, Sport Sciences, patellar tendon, tendinopathy, treatment, platelet-rich plasma, EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCKWAVE THERAPY, ULTRASOUND-GUIDED SCLEROSIS, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL, JUMPERS KNEE, FOLLOW-UP, SPORTS, PREVALENCE, NEOVESSELS, TENDINOSIS, INJECTIONS
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Eastman Dental Institute
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1480415
Downloads since deposit
245Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item