title: Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma in comparison with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation plus exercise: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoarthritis is a disabling musculoskeletal disease with no definite treatment. This study compared the effect of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) plus exercise in the treatment of patients with knee joint osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  54 eligible patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated into two groups. (IRCT2012110611382N) Group A (27 patients) received 2 injections of PRP (4 weeks apart) and group B (27 patients) received 10 sessions of TENS as well as exercise during the study period. Clinical outcome was evaluated using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) questionnaire before the treatment, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after that the treatment. Pain was also assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Time to an intolerable knee pain during treadmill workout was also evaluated using an objective test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the PRP group, the mean KOOS symptom score improved significantly from baseline to the end of study, while the change was not significant over this period for the group B. In both groups, significant reductions were observed in VAS scores from baseline till the end of study. The mean time to feel intolerable knee pain during treadmill work out of PRP group increased significantly from baseline to week 4, but no significant changes were found in this parameter over the time of study in the group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraarticular injection of PRP is an effective, safe method for short-term treatment of patients with knee joint osteoarthritis.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Sports Medicine, Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Hazrat Rasool-e-Akram hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hoomanangoorani@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Angoorani
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor of Sports Medicine, Minimally Invasive Surgery Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mazaherinezhad@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazaherinezhad
authors.affiliation: Resident of Sports Medicine, Hazrat Rasool-e-Akram hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. marjomaki@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Marjomaki
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate in Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. shima.younespour@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Younespour
keywords: Exercise; Knee Osteoarthritis; PRP; Platelet - rich Plasma