The effectiveness of two or three doses of PRP for knee osteoarthritis is comparable to that of a single dose of PRP in terms of pain relief and functional improvement for up to one year after treatment.

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness and safety of a single versus multiple doses of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to relieve knee osteoarthritis.

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, a comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, as well as grey literature and bibliographic references. The search was carried out for identifying randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of single vs. multiple doses of PRP for knee osteoarthritis.

Three independent reviewers performed data extraction and literature retrieval. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were based on data availability, language, outcome, intervention, research subjects, and study type. A pooled assessment was performed to examine adverse events, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores.

The analysis included seven high-quality RCTs (n=575). The age range of participants varied from 20 to 80, and there was a balanced gender distribution. At the 12-month mark, patients who received a single dose of PRP therapy experienced significantly greater improvement in VAS scores compared to those who received triple dose PRP therapy.

However, there was no significant difference in VAS scores between patients who received double dose PRP therapy and those who received a single dose at the 12-month follow-up. In terms of safety, both double dose and triple dose therapy showed no discernable differences in adverse events compared to single dose therapy.

Two or three doses of PRP are equally efficient as a single dose in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee.