Large Randomized Trial Confirms Value of Platelet Rich Plasma for Tennis Elbow Patients

84% of patients with chronic tennis elbow who had failed other non-operative treatments were successfully treated using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in a large randomized trial.  The results will be presented today at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery Meeting in Chicago.

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