Intra-articular Pure Platelet-Rich Plasma Combined With Open-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy Improves Clinical Outcomes and Minimal Joint Space Width Compared With High Tibial Osteotomy Alone in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Study

Purpose To compare the clinical efficacy of the patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis who underwent either opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy alone (HTO) or simultaneous HTO and pure platelet-rich plasma therapy (HTO+P-PRP). Methods Eighty patients were divided into 2 groups randomly, the HTO-alone group (n = 41) and the HTO+P-PRP group (n = 39). Patients were matched for preoperative age, sex, and body mass index. The outcomes studied included visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Lysholm score. The minimum width of medial knee joint (MJSW), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), femoral tibial angle (FTA), and weightbearing line (WBL) were measured preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Paired t test and chi-squared test were used for statistical analysis. Results All patients were followed up at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. At 1, 6, and 12 months, pain and function scores in the HTO+P-PRP group were better than those in the HTO-alone group, especially at 6 months in Lysholm score (HTO alone, 72.5 ± 10.6; HTO+P-PRP, 83.1 ± 14.7; P = .003, 95% CI –14.13 to –10.42) and WOMAC (HTO alone, 90.3 ± 11.9; HTO+P-PRP, 75.6 ± 15.4; P < .001, 95% CI 13.36 to 20.11). For both groups, no difference was found preoperatively (HTO alone, varus 3.5 ± 3.9; HTO+P-PRP, varus 4.1 ± 4.0; P = .898) or postoperatively (HTO alone, valgus 6.7 ± 4.5; HTO+P-PRP, valgus 7.7 ± 2.3; P = .768) in FTA or WBL. The increase of the MJSW in the HTO+P-PRP group was significantly greater than that in the HTO-alone group during the first year, especially at 6 months (HTO alone, 3.8 ± 1.2 mm; HTO+P-PRP, 4.6 ± 1.1 mm; P = .001, 95% CI –1.27 to –0.35). Conclusions Compared with HTO alone, HTO combined with intra-articular P-PRP improved the minimum medial knee joint space width during the first year postoperatively. Clinically, a higher proportion of patients in the HTO+P-PRP group exceeded the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the first year, especially at 6 months in Lysholm score (HTO alone, 65.9%; HTO+P-PRP, 97.4%) and WOMAC (HTO alone, 82.9%; HTO+P-PRP, 100.0%). Level of Evidence 2, prospective comparative study.