Comparison of Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection in Knee Osteoarthritis: Do the Results Differ in Geriatric Patients? A Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND: The intra-articular application of platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid have gained popularity as treatment options for knee osteoarthritis. Although intra-articular platelet-rich plasma injections have been suggested to be superior to hyaluronic acid injections in the general population of patients with osteoarthritis, the effect of older age on both treatment options has not been thoroughly evaluated. Therefore, this study compared the results of platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid injections in geriatric patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: This study evaluated a total of 226 patients treated with intra-articular injections for knee osteoarthritis. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received platelet-rich plasma and those who received hyaluronic acid. All patients attended follow-up appointments at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months. RESULTS: After applying the exclusion criteria, this study included 202 patients. The clinical results revealed significant improvements in all parameters compared to the baseline assessments in both groups (p<0.05). The inter-group comparisons indicated significantly lower pain in the hyaluronic acid recipients at the first and third months compared to those in patients receiving platelet-rich plasma (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid injections appear to be effective in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In the geriatric patient population, hyaluronic acid showed superior effects on pain compared to platelet-rich plasma, contrary to the results in the general population.