The study was a randomized, double-blind, multi-center controlled trial of 230 patients. Patients received needling of their elbow tendons with and without PRP. At 24 weeks the PRP patients reports a 71.5% improvement in their pain compared to 56.1 in the control group. (P = 0.027) Patients treated with PRP also had less elbow tenderness at each follow up point. (See Graph Below) Overall, 84% of the PRP patients were successfully treated compared to 68.3% of the control group. (P = 0.012)
This is the largest study done to date using PRP. There are now over 340 patients who have been treated with the same system (Biomet GPS PRP) and techniques confirming the value of PRP as a treatment for chronic tennis elbow. Importantly, there is also a decade long experience using PRP with an excellent safety profile. PRP with this newly released data can now be confidently used for chronic tennis elbow patients prior to considering surgical intervention.
American College of Surgeons Article on the presentation.
AM
Total Tendon
Platelet-Rich Plasma Significantly Improves
Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Tennis Elbow:
A Double-Blind, Prospective, Multicenter,
Controlled Trial of 230 Patients
AAOS 2013
Allan K. Mishra, MD; Nebojsa V. Skrepnik, MD, PhD; Scott G. Edwards, MD; Grant L. Jones, MD; Steven Sampson, DO; Doug A. Vermillion, MD; Matthew L. Ramsey, MD; David C. Karli, MD, MBA; Arthur C. Rettig, MD
