Does Platelet-rich Plasma Augmentation Following Hip Arthroscopy Improve Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has gathered widespread acceptance among orthopaedic surgeons because of its multimodal effects on tissue healing. Varying results have been reported when PRP injections are combined with hip arthroscopic surgery. To evaluate the influence of PRP on clinical outcomes following hip arthroscopy. We hypothesized that patients treated with PRP would have improved postoperative outcome scores. A search of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) healthcare database advanced search (HDAS) via Athens (PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and AMED databases) was conducted from their years of inception to May 2018 with the keywords: “Hip Arthroscopy” and “Platelet-Rich Plasma”. A quality assessment was performed based on the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Three studies were included for analysis; two of which had low risk of bias. The studies included 363 hips, of which 141 were randomised for PRP treatment. The mean age of all patients was 35 years and the follow-up ranged from 18.5 to 36 months. Authors used different PRP systems and preparations. Modified Harris hip score was reported in all three studies with two studies favouring the use of PRP. The use of PRP following hip arthroscopy did not lead to significantly improved postoperative pain or functional outcomes when compared to control groups in the studies included in this review.