Treating Severe Knee Osteoarthritis with Combination of Intra-Osseous and Intra-Articular Infiltrations of Platelet-Rich Plasma: An Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing the therapeutic effects of a combination of intra-articular and intra-osseous infiltrations of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to treat severe knee osteoarthritis (KOA) using intra-articular injections of PRP as the control group. DESIGN: In this observational study, 60 patients suffering from severe KOA were treated with intra-articular infiltrations of PRP (IA group) or with a combination of intra-osseous and intra-articular infiltrations of PRP (IO group). Both groups were matched for sex, age, body mass index, and radiographic severity (III and IV degree according to Ahlbäck scale). Clinical outcome was evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 months, using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaires. RESULTS: At 2, 6 and 12 months after treatment, IO group had a significant improvement in all KOOS and WOMAC subscales ( P < 0.05). On the contrary, patients of the IA group did not improve in any of the scores. Sixteen out of 30 IO group patients showed minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) whereas 8 out of 30 IA group patients showed this response at 6 months (26.7%; 95% CI -0.4 to 49.9; P = 0.037). At 12 months, 14 patients of IO group and 5 patients of the IA group showed MCII (30%; 95% CI 4.3 to 51.9; P = 0.013). No differences between groups were observed at 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: PRP intra-articular injections in severe KOA were not effective and did not provide any benefit. Combination of intra-articular and intra-osseous infiltrations of PRP was not clinically superior at 2 months, but it showed superior clinical outcomes at 6 and 12 months when compared with intra-articular injections of PRP.

Combination of Intra-Articular and Intraosseous Injections of Platelet Rich Plasma for Severe Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this study was to assess a novel approach to treating severe knee osteoarthritis by targeting synovial membrane, superficial articular cartilage, synovial fluid, and subchondral bone by combining intra-articular injections and intraosseous infiltrations of platelet rich plasma. We explored a new strategy consisting of intraosseous infiltrations of platelet rich plasma into the subchondral bone in combination with the conventional intra-articular injection in order to tackle several knee joint tissues simultaneously. We assessed the clinical outcomes through osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) and the inflammatory response by quantifying mesenchymal stem cells in synovial fluid. There was a significant pain reduction in the KOOS from baseline (61.55 ± 14.11) to week 24 (74.60 ± 19.19), after treatment (p = 0.008), in the secondary outcomes (symptoms, p = 0.004; ADL, p = 0.022; sport/rec., p = 0.017; QOL, p = 0.012), as well as VAS score (p < 0.001) and Lequesne Index (p = 0.008). The presence of mesenchymal stem cells in synovial fluid and colony-forming cells one week after treatment decreased substantially from 7.98 ± 8.21 MSC/µL to 4.04 ± 5.36 MSC/µL (p = 0.019) and from 601.75 ± 312.30 to 139.19 ± 123.61 (p = 0.012), respectively. Intra-articular injections combined with intraosseous infiltrations of platelet rich plasma reduce pain and mesenchymal stem cells in synovial fluid, besides significantly improving knee joint function in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis. This trial is registered on EudraCT with the number 2013-003982-32.

Giant cell arteritis: epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, is a vasculitis that affects large and middle-sized blood vessels--with predisposition to the involvement of cranial arteries derived from the carotid artery--in individuals older than 50 years of age. Familial aggregation of GCA has been observed. Incidence of GCA is higher in white individuals than those of other ethnicities, particularly those of Scandinavian background. A temporal artery biopsy is the gold standard test for the diagnosis of GCA. Several imaging modalities, in particular ultrasonography, are useful in the diagnosis of GCA. Corticosteroids are the cornerstone of treatment in GCA. Alternative, steroid-sparing drugs, particularly methotrexate, should be considered in GCA patients with severe corticosteroid-related side effects and/or in those who require prolonged corticosteroid therapy due to relapses of the disease.

Medical management of polymyalgia rheumatica.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a relatively frequent condition in individuals older than 50 who originate from Western countries. Corticosteroids constitute the cornerstone therapy in the management of patients with PMR. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: This review summarizes the current literature on clinical clues for the diagnosis of PMR, conditions mimicking PMR, relapses in the setting of PMR and the main therapeutic strategies. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: With this information, the reader receives an overview on the current available data on clinical diagnosis and treatment options in PMR. TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: An initial dose of prednisone of 10-20 mg/day yields clinical improvement in the majority of patients with PMR. This is generally achieved within 7 days of the onset of this therapy. Conditions different from isolated PMR should be considered in atypical cases or when a good response to 20 mg/day of prednisone is not achieved. Relapses of PMR are not uncommon when the dose of prednisone is equal to or below than 5 mg/day. Methotrexate is the most commonly used corticosteroid sparing agent. Osteoporosis prophylaxis is also recommended.