Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

First Advisor

Kauffman, Russell

Second Advisor

Metzger, Jay

Keywords

Osteoarthritis, Knee, Injections, Platelet-rich plasma, Hyaluronic acid, Combination injections

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases that people can suffer from in today’s society. This degenerative disease can affect any of the body’s joints, but is most common in the knees, hands and spine. Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that covers the ends of bones in joints wears down. This lack of protective cartilage leads to the bones grinding on each other causing loss of range of motion, pain, and limited function. This review studied the effects of two specific treatments for knee osteoarthritis: platelet-rich plasma injections and hyaluronic acid injections. Both of these treatments can be provided by a primary care provider that has the proper training as well as an orthopedic specialist. Platelet-rich plasma injections are the patient’s own blood products reintroduced into the affected joint to stimulate healing. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body, and when injected into a joint suffering from osteoarthritis, it can act as a joint lubricator/shock absorber to help decrease pain and improve function. The results of this study show that both platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid injections can be effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. However, platelet-rich plasma was shown to be more effective in reducing pain, increasing range of motion, and improving overall function.

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