Current evidence on platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis raises no major safety concerns. However, the evidence on efficacy is limited in quality. Therefore, this procedure should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent, and audit or research.Find out what special arrangements mean on the NICE interventional procedures guidance page.
Clinicians wishing to give platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis should:
Inform the clinical governance leads in their NHS trusts.
Ensure that patients understand the procedure's safety and efficacy, as well as any uncertainties about these. Provide them with clear information to support shared decision making. In addition, the use of NICE's information for the public on platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis is recommended.
Audit and review clinical outcomes of all patients having platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis, including details of the methods used to prepare and administer the platelet-rich plasma injections. NICE has identified relevant audit criteria and has developed NICE's interventional procedure outcomes audit tool (which is for use at local discretion).
Further research should be in the form of randomised controlled trials with medium- to long-term follow‑up, including validated measures of knee function and patient-reported outcomes.