Biologic therapies in stress fractures: Current concepts.

Stress fractures, a common overuse injury in physically active individuals, present a significant challenge for athletes and military personnel. Patients who sustain stress fractures have demanding training regimes where periods of rest and immobilisation have unacceptable negative consequences on sports goals and finances. Aside from being an overuse injury, there are various contributing risk factors that put certain individuals at risk of a stress fracture. The main two being nutritional deficiencies and hormonal variations, which have significant effects on bone metabolism and turnover. Historically, treatment of stress fractures focused on conservative strategies such as rest and immobilisation. Calcium and vitamin D deficiencies have been closely linked to stress fractures and so over time supplementation has also played a role in treatment. With the introduction of biologics into orthopaedics, newer treatment strategies have been applied to accelerate fracture healing and perhaps improve fracture callus quality. If such therapies can reduce time spent away from sport and activity, it would be ideal for treating stress fractures. This article aims to offer insights into the evolving landscape of stress fracture management. It investigates the pre-clinical evidence and available published clinical applications. Though fracture healing is well understood, the role of biologics for fracture healing is still indeterminate. Available literature for the use of biologic therapies in stress fractures are restricted and most reports have used biologics as a supplement to surgical fixation in subjects in studies that lack control groups. Randomised control trials have been proposed and registered by a few groups, with results awaited. Assessing individuals for risk factors, addressing hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies seems like an effective approach to addressing the burden of stress fractures. We await better designed trials and studies to accurately determine the clinical benefit of adding biologics to the management of these injuries.

Assessment of wound healing activity in diabetic mice treated with a novel therapeutic combination of selenium nanoparticles and platelets rich plasma.

Diabetic wound healing is sluggish, often ending in amputations. This study tested a novel, two-punch therapy in mice-Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-to boost healing. First, a mouse model of diabetes was created. Then, Se NPs were crafted for their impressive antioxidant and antimicrobial powers. PRP, packed with growth factors, was extracted from the mice's blood. Wound healing was tracked for 28 days through photos, scoring tools, and tissue analysis. Se NPs alone spurred healing, and PRP added extra fuel. Furthermore, when used in combination with PRP, the healing process was accelerated due to the higher concentration of growth factors in PRP. Notably, the combination of Se NPs and PRP exhibited a synergistic effect, significantly enhancing wound healing in diabetic mice. These findings hold promise for the treatment of diabetic wounds and have the potential to reduce the need for lower limb amputations associated with diabetic foot ulcers. The innovative combination therapy using Se NPs and PRP shows great potential in expediting the healing process and addressing the challenges of impaired wound healing in individuals with diabetes. This exciting finding suggests this therapy could change diabetic wound management, potentially saving limbs and improving lives.

Comparison of efficacy of ultrasound-guided platelet rich plasma injection versus dry needling in lateral epicondylitis-a randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To assess whether Ultrasound guided dry needling is adequate for both common extensor tendon tears and tendinosis or whether ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma (PRP) has a superior outcome when compared to dry needling when there are tears of the common extensor tendon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a single-centre, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial conducted between November 2018 and April 2020. 40 patients diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis based on clinical and sonographic features and having comparable baseline characteristics were randomly assigned to the two study groups (dry needling and PRP). Inclusion criteria were patients aged 20 years or more who were symptomatic for at least 3 months with sonographic evidence of lateral epicondylitis. Exclusion criteria were complete tear of common extensor tendon confirmed on ultrasound and presence of other associated diseases like osteoarthritis of shoulder and elbow. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in the visual analogue scale pain score in PRP group compared to the dry needling group at 9 months. However, this difference was not evident at 3 and 6 months follow-up. Mean improvement in common extensor tendon thickness in PRP group (5.1 mm at 3 months and 4.3 mm at 6 months) was slightly better than dry needling (4.4 mm at 3 months and 4.0 mm at 6 months). There was no difference in tear (if present) healing between both groups at 3 months. However at 6 months follow up, PRP demonstrated significant (mean-2.5) healing in tear compared to dry needling (mean-3.1). CONCLUSION: Two injections of Ultrasound guided PRP are more beneficial non operative treatment compared to ultrasound guided dry needling, in lateral epicondylitis.

Platelet rich plasma therapy versus other modalities for treatment of plantar fasciitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is the most common cause of heel pain in adults. There are numerous non-operative treatments available including platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. PPR has demonstrated effectiveness for a range of musculoskeletal conditions including plantar fasciitis. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of PRP to other conservative treatment options for the management of PF. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar was performed for randomized control trials (RCT) comparing PRP to other treatment modalities. Studies met inclusion criteria if mean and standard deviations for visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, plantar fascia thickness (PFT), Foot Function Index (FFI), or American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Score were reported. Mean differences (MD) were used to compare VAS pain, PFT, FFI, and AOFAS between PRP and other treatments. RESULTS: Twenty-one RCTs which altogether included 1356 patients were included in the meta-analysis. PRP demonstrated significantly greater improvements in VAS pain scores compared to extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) (SMD: 0.86; CI: [0.30, 1.41]; p = 0.002), corticosteroid injections (CSI) (SMD: 1.08; CI: [0.05, 2.11]; p = 0.04), and placebo (SMD: 3.42; CI: [2.53, 4.31]; p < 0.00001). In terms of FFI, no significant differences existed among PRP, ESWT, CSI, dextrose prolotherapy (DPT), and meridian trigger points (MTP) in enhancing foot functionality. However, PRP demonstrated a marked advantage over phonophoresis, showing a substantial improvement in FFI scores (SMD: 3.07, 95% CI: 2.34-3.81). PRP did not demonstrate superiority over ESWT, CSI, or MTP for improving PFT, but it was notably more effective than phonophoresis (SMD: 3.18, 95% CI: 2.43-3.94). PRP demonstrated significantly greater improvements in AOFAS scores over CSI (SMD: 3.31, CI: [1.35, 5.27], p = 0.0009) and placebo (SMD: 3.75; CI: [2.81, 4.70]; p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: PRP is more effective than CSI, ESWT, and placebo in reducing VAS and more effective than CSI and placebo in improving AOFAS. PRP did not demonstrate a consistent advantage across all outcome measures, such as PFT and FFI. These findings underscore the complexity of PF treatment and call for a more standardized approach to PRP preparation and outcome measurement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I Meta-Analysis.

The Safety and Effectiveness of Orthobiologic Injections for Discogenic Chronic Low Back Pain: A Multicenter Prospective, Crossover, Randomized Controlled Trial with 12 Months Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain is one of the most common causes of disability, affecting more than 600 million people worldwide with major social and economic costs. Current treatment options include conservative, surgical, and minimally invasive interventional treatment approaches. Novel therapeutic treatment options continue to develop, targeting the biological cascades involved in the degenerative processes to prevent invasive spinal surgical procedures. Both intradiscal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow concentrate (BMC) applications have been introduced as promising regenerative treatment procedures. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of an orthobiologic intradiscal injection, PRP or BMC, when compared to control patients. The secondary objectives are to measure: patient satisfaction and incidence of hospitalization, emergency room visit and spine surgery at predetermined follow-up intervals. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter, prospective, crossover, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Comprehensive Spine and Sports Center and participating centers. METHODS: Forty patients were randomized into saline trigger point injection, intradiscal PRP, or BMC. Follow-up was 1, 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. Placebo patients were randomized to PRP and BMC injection if < 50% decrease in numeric rating scale (NRS) scores in 3 months, while PRP and BMC patients to the other active group if < 50% decrease in NRS scores in 6 months. RESULTS: Both PRP and BMC demonstrated statistically significant improvement in pain and function. All the placebo patients reported < 50% pain relief and crossed to the active arm. None of the patients had any adverse effects, hospitalization, or surgery up to 12 months posttreatment. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of our study were the small number of patients and open-label nature of the study. CONCLUSION: This is the only human lumbar disc study that evaluates both PRP and BMC in the same study and compares it to placebo. PRP and BMC were found to be superior to placebo in improving pain and function; however, larger randomized clinical trials are needed to answer further questions on the comparative effectiveness of various biologics as well as to identify outcome differences specific to disc pathology.

Treatments for painful temporomandibular disc displacement with reduction: a network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

There is currently no consensus on the best treatment for painful temporomandibular disc displacement with reduction (DDwR), and no network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing all types of treatment for this condition has been conducted. The objective of this study was to compare and rank all treatments for DDwR, including conservative treatments, occlusal splints, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), manual therapy, no treatment (control), arthrocentesis (Arthro) alone, Arthro plus intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma (Arthro-PRP) or hyaluronic acid (Arthro-HA), and Arthro plus occlusal splint. Predictor variables were pain intensity and maximum mouth opening (MMO). The mean difference with 95% confidence interval was estimated using Stata software. The GRADE system was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. Twenty RCTs reporting 1107 patients were identified in the literature search; 980 of these patients were included in the network meta-analysis. Direct meta-analysis showed that Arthro-PRP significantly reduced pain intensity compared to Arthro alone, while occlusal splint and manual therapy were superior to conservative treatment (all very low quality evidence). Arthro with intra-articular injection of PRP/HA ranked as the most effective treatment in terms of pain reduction, whereas LLLT ranked the best choice for increasing MMO for patients with DDwR. However, it is important to note that the evidence for the superiority of these treatments is generally of very low quality. Therefore, further high-quality research is needed to confirm these findings and provide more reliable recommendations for the treatment of DDwR.

Therapeutic applications of canine platelets and their derivatives: a narrative review.

Platelets contain a multitude of growth factors and play a crucial role in physiological processes such as thrombogenesis, tissue repair, and angiogenesis. As a result, platelet-derived products have significant potential for efficient utilization in the realm of regenerative medicine due to their therapeutic and biological attributes. Numerous studies have already substantiated the therapeutic viability of platelets in various canine ailments. The existing literature indicates a substantial surge in the clinical application of canine platelets, positioning platelet-derived products as a viable alternative to conventional therapeutic agents. Platelet concentrates, including platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin are commonly used as a therapeutic modality in clinical cases. These therapeutic derivatives exhibit effectiveness in tissue regeneration and can serve as complementary therapies. Notably, they offer a cost-effective and easily accessible therapeutic option, which has demonstrated its benefits in chronic inflammatory disorders such as osteoarthritis and tendinitis, ophthalmic conditions, wound healing, and mandibular injuries in canine patients. The broad spectrum of therapeutic effects displayed by platelets is providing researchers with novel perspectives for crafting therapeutic models in future investigations. This review centers on exploring the therapeutic potential of canine platelets across diverse disorders. Further exploration into platelet products, encompassing their preparation and applicability in canine medicine, is imperative. These inquiries hold the promise of unveiling fresh horizons for the domain of regenerative medicine.

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy combined with intralesional injection of either latanoprost or platelet-rich plasma for stable nonsegmental vitiligo.

BACKGROUND: Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is the cornerstone of vitiligo treatment. Its combination with other treatments usually yields a better response. Latanoprost, a prostaglandin F2α analog, and autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have been reported to be effective for vitiligo. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of NB-UVB combined with intralesional latanoprost or PRP for stable nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV). METHODS: Sixty patients with stable NSV were recruited and randomly allocated to two equal groups. NB-UVB phototherapy was administered twice a week for all patients. Additionally, group A received intralesional latanoprost injections once weekly, while group B received intralesional autologous PRP injections every 2 weeks. RESULTS: At 24 weeks, excellent repigmentation response was observed in 26.7% and 13.3% of patients in the latanoprost/NB-UVB and PRP/NB-UVB groups, respectively, with no significant difference in degrees of repigmentation between the two groups. However, the Vitiligo Extent Score for a Target Area (VESTA) score was significantly higher in the latanoprost/NB-UVB group (p = .032). Moreover, lesions located on nonacral skin responded significantly better than those on acral skin. Only erythema was significantly higher in the PRP/NB-UVB group, while the recurrence of depigmentation was significantly higher in the latanoprost/NB-UVB group. CONCLUSIONS: Both latanoprost and PRP have the potential to be effective add-on therapies to NB-UVB phototherapy for stable NSV, with latanoprost resulting in a greater repigmentation response and PRP producing a more stable response.

Platelet-Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis: A Systematic Review.

Psoriasis is a chronic and recurring condition characterized by scaly red plaques. The most common variant, plaque-type psoriasis, presents distinct clinical features. It profoundly impacts psychological and mental well-being, resulting in depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Psoriasis occurs due to disruptions in the skin's innate and adaptive immune response triggered by trauma, infection, or medications. Treatment options include topical therapies such as corticosteroids and vitamin D analogs, phototherapy, conventional systemic agents such as methotrexate (MTX), and biologics that target pro-inflammatory cytokines. There has been growing interest in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a potential treatment option for plaque psoriasis, given its lower toxicity compared to existing approaches. However, its use is not yet widespread in clinical practice due to the limited awareness of its effectiveness. This review aims to investigate the efficacy of PRP therapy for plaque psoriasis. To conduct a comprehensive analysis, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, thoroughly searching PubMed, Elton Bryson Stephens Company (EBSCO), and ClinicalTrials.gov between February and July 2023. Our focus was on patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis, and we found multiple studies that demonstrated promising results of PRP either as monotherapy or in combination with current treatments such as MTX. The clinical evidence strongly supports the effectiveness of PRP in treating plaque psoriasis. PRP significantly improves dermatological symptoms and enhances patient and physician satisfaction. Research suggests that PRP reduces the expression of interleukin (IL) 17, a pro-inflammatory mediator, explaining its mechanism of action in treating plaque psoriasis. However, additional clinical trials with larger sample sizes, including PRP as a separate treatment group and comparisons with positive and control groups, are necessary to reinforce its efficacy in plaque psoriasis patients and elucidate other potential mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects.

Interventional Techniques for the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review.

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a prevalent condition that causes pain, discomfort, and disability that can severely impact the quality of life. This literature review aims to review the various interventional pain management techniques available to treat knee osteoarthritis. It analyzes the efficacy of various interventions such as intra-articular corticosteroids, prolotherapy, viscosupplementation, platelet-rich plasma, and genicular nerve blocks with radiofrequency ablation or cryoneurolysis. We searched databases for studies published in the past 20 years. A total of 37 articles were included. The literature supports the idea that a comprehensive treatment plan consisting of the various aforementioned techniques can provide relief for patients while delaying or avoiding joint replacement surgery.

Efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma combined with Tai Chi for knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a placebo-controlled randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: No definitive treatment methods of curative for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The combined therapies that into account both the biochemical and biomechanical may provide potential opportunities for treat KOA, and previous studies have demonstrated that the platelet-rich plasma of intra-articular injection (IAI-PRP) and exercise treatments afford more benefits than do their corresponding monotherapies. The absence of a specific exercise plan and detailed explanation renders the aforementioned study results questionable. Furthermore, Tai Chi (TC) with moderate-intensity, whole body movements and good adherence may prove to be more effective for treating KOA. However, few studies examined the effectiveness and safety of combined IAI-PRP and TC for KOA. METHODS: This study protocol will be a placebo-controlled, assessor-blinded randomized trial involving 12-week intervention and 1-year follow-up. The stratified randomization will be used to randomly assign the 212 participants to four groups: group A (placebo IAI); group B (PRP IAI); group C (TC and placebo IAI); group D (TC and PRP IAI). Injection will be performed once a week, three consecutive times as a course, after a week of rest to continue the next course, a total of 3 courses (12 week). Additionally, the TC interventions will be carried out 3 days per week for a total of 12 weeks. The primary outcome measures will include the efficacy (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), acceptability and safety of these interventions. The secondary outcome measures will include physical function (Timed Up and Go test), walking function (Gait Analysis), inflammatory factor levels (e.g., Interleukin-1 ß, interleukin-6, vascular endothelial growth factor), quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey), volume of patellofemoral cartilage and effusion-synovitis (MRI). Two-way of variance with repeated measures will be applied to examine the main effects of the group and the time factor and group-time interaction effects for all outcome measures. DISCUSSION: This trial will be first one to propose an integrated scheme combing IAI-PRP and TC for treatment of KOA, based on the consideration of the biochemical and biomechanical pathogenesis of KOA. These results of the study will provide evidence with high quality for integrated IAI-PRP and TC to treatment KOA. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300067559. Registered on 11 January 2023.

Regenerative Therapies for Basal Thumb Arthritis-A Systematic Review.

Basal thumb arthritis is a painful and debilitating pathology that can severely reduce a patients' quality of life. Common therapies include oral pain control, local steroid injections and/or surgery. Yet, therapeutic data on long-term improvement and even cartilage repair are scarce. This review aims to present the currently available literature on novel therapies for basal thumb arthritis, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), fat grafting and phototherapy, and investigate their potential efficacy. The entire OVID database and PubMed were searched for studies containing the topics PRP injection, lipofilling, laser treatment and regenerative treatment for carpometacarpal arthritis. Seven studies on the effect of fat tissue on basal thumb arthritis were found. Four authors reported on PRP injections, one RCT examined a combinational treatment of PRP and fat grafting, another phototherapy for the thumb joint and one prospective trial on chondrocyte transplantation was found. Pain improvement and decreased impairment were reported in the majority of PRP and/or fat grafting studies as well as after chondrocyte implantation. Phototherapy did not significantly improve the condition. This review revealed that only limited data on regenerative therapies for carpometacarpal arthritis are currently available, yet PRP and lipofilling show promising results and merit further investigation.

Accessory Tibionavicular Muscle: An Unusual Cause of Medial Ankle Pain.

Accessory or anomalous muscles around the ankle are not uncommon and are usually asymptomatic. They are traditionally encountered during imaging undertaken for evaluation of ankle pain. We reported the first case of a new accessory muscle in the anteromedial part of the ankle with associated partial thickness tear in an 18-year-old football player presenting as symptomatic pathology. In this article, we described the role of cross-sectional imaging in its diagnosis including successful management of the condition with ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma therapy and review-associated literature.

Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Efficacy on Endometrial Thickness and Infertility: A Single-Centre Experience from Romania.

(1) Background: During IVF (in vitro fertilization), a proper endometrium thickness is one of the most difficult parameters to achieve and one of the most important prognostic factors of the success rate. One major problem is the high cancelation percentage in frozen embryo transfer cycles. The focus on the adjuvant methods for improving endometrium thickness is an on-going subject of interest. (2) Methods: This prospective single-arm self-control study was conducted in an IVF centre in Oradea, Romania. The patients were divided into two groups. The control group included 51 patients with at least one attempt to transfer a good-quality blastocyst, but the endometrial thickness did not surpass 7 mm under standard endometrial preparation protocol with oestradiol and with adjuvant therapy (other than PRP, such as aspirin, vitamin C, and vitamin E), and the study group included the same 51 patients that had the embryo transfer performed under the same standard endometrial preparation protocol with oestradiol preparation protocol and intrauterine PRP infusion. (3) Results: In our study, the PRP treatment had a positive impact on the parameters that were followed for the evaluation of the success rate of the embryo transfer procedure. The endometrial thickness (an increase in endometrial thickness by 0.6 mm after PRP treatment with p = 0.0001) and the clinical pregnancy rate (having a MD ± SD of 0 ± 0.38 before PRP treatment and with an increase to 0.5 ± 0.1 after the PRP treatment, p = 0.0004) were statistically significant (4) Conclusions: PRP has a positive effect in promoting endometrial proliferation, improving embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate for women with thin endometrium.

Medical and procedural treatment of androgenetic alopecia - Where are we?

Novel medical and procedural options for androgenetic alopecia have arrived. Low-dose oral minoxidil has made its clinical debut, while data on spironolactone, finasteride, and nutritional supplements have advanced. Minimally invasive technological advancements include photobiomodulation and platelet-rich plasma. Within hair transplantation, follicular unit extraction and robotics are now at the clinicians' fingertips.

Interactions Between Biologic Therapies and Other Treatment Modalities.

Biologic therapies are becoming increasingly utilized by veterinarians. The literature regarding the interaction of biologic therapies with other therapeutics is still in its infancy. Initial studies have examined the effects of exercise, stress, various pharmaceutical interventions, extracorporeal shockwave, therapeutic laser, and hyperbaric oxygen on biologic therapies. Continued research is imperative as owners and veterinarians increasingly choose a multimodal approach to injury and illness. Further, understanding the effects of concurrently administered treatments and pharmaceuticals as well as the health status of the horse is imperative to providing the optimal therapeutic outcome.

Total Healing of a Partial Rupture of the Supraspinatus Tendon Using Barbotage Technique Associated with Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Randomized, Controlled, and Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

The prevalence of partial rotator cuff tears (PRCTs) is high in the general population. Our hypothesis is that barbotage, when associated with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), is an effective method for healing these tears. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of barbotage with or without PRP on the healing of partial supraspinatus tendon tears (PSTTs). This study assessed the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index score and ultrasound (US) images at 6 weeks and 6 months after treatment. Patients in both groups showed clinical improvement, with no significant difference in scores at 6 weeks. However, at 6 months, the PRP group exhibited significant improvement (p = 0.019). Both groups experienced a reduction in ST tear size, but the PRP group demonstrated a significant enhancement at 6 weeks and 6 months. In conclusion, the US-guided barbotage technique, whether associated with PRP or saline solution, proved to be an effective treatment for clinical improvement and reduction in the size of PSTT. Better clinical improvement results were observed with PRP at 6 months. The combination of PRP with barbotage was superior in reducing the size of the ST tear at both 6 weeks and 6 months, resulting in complete healing in 79.3% of the tears.

[Effect of Bushen Chushi() decoction combined with platelet-rich plasma on regulating TGF-ß1 and Smad-1 expression in serum of knee osteoarthritis patient].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Bushen Chushi decoction combined with platelet-rich plasma(PRP) to treat knee osteoarthritis(KOA) in early and middle stage and its regulation on TGF-ß1 and Smad-1 expression in serum. METHODS: Total of 45 patients with KOA in early and middle stage from May 2020 to April 2022 were treated and divided into control group and observation group. In control group, there were 30 patients including 12 males and 18 females, aged from 43 to 69 years old with an average of(57.3±6.5) years old and disease duration ranged from 1.5 to 5.0 years with an average of(3.8±1.7) years, and there were 8 cases in gradeⅠ, 13 cases in gradeⅡ, and 9 cases in grade Ⅲ according to Kellgren-Lawrence Grade, PRP 5 ml was injected into knee joint on the first day of No1, 3 week together for 2 times. In the observation group, there were 15 cases including 7 males and 8 females, aged from 45 to 70 years old with an average of (56.7±6.2) years old and disease duration ranged from 1.8 to 5.7 years with an average of (4.0±1.8) years, there were 4 cases in gradeⅠ, 9 cases in gradeⅡand 4 cases in grade Ⅲ according to the Kellgren-Lawrence Grade, PRP 5 ml were injected into knee joints that the time and frequency were the same as those in the control group, and at the same time Bushen Chushi decoction orally were taken 1 dose per day with a total of 28 doses. All patients were treated for four weeks. Visual analogue scale(VAS) and Lequesne MG score before and after treatment were used to evaluate improvement of knee pain and joint function. The TGF-ß1 and Smad-1 levels in serum were measured before and after treatment in two groups. The incidence of complications in two groups was observed. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 26 to 30 days with an average of (28.0±0.6) days. There was no significant difference in VAS and knee Lequesne MG scores between two groups before treatment(P>0.05). The scores of VAS and knee Lequesne MG on the first day after treatment in both groups were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05). The VAS and knee Lequesne MG scores in observation group were lower than those in control group(P<0.05) on the first day after treatment. The TGF-ß1 level in serum after treatment were higher significantly than that before treatment in two groups(P<0.05). After treatment, TGF-ß1 level in serum in observation group were lower than those in control group with statistically significant differences(P<0.05). The Smad-1 levels in serum after treatment in observation group were higher significantly than that in control group(P<0.05). The levels of Smad-1 were not statistically significant between before and after treatment(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in postopertaive complications between two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of Bushen Chushi decoction combined with PRP in treatment of early and middle KOA is better than that of PRP injection alone. The combined treatment could reduce TGF-ß1 level and increase Smad-1 level in serum, which may be a mechanism to inhibit inflammation and alleviate cartilage degeneration to some extent.

A Comparative Study of Topical Procapil With Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Versus Topical Redensyl, Saw Palmetto, and Biotin With Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia.

Background and aim Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a well-known hair loss disorder in both men and women affecting approximately 80% and 50% of the population, respectively. Various treatment options for AGA are available with varying efficacy. Combination therapy is a new dictum to combat AGA. Hence, this study aimed to compare the efficacy of commonly used topical therapies such as Procapil with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and redensyl, saw palmetto (SP), and biotin (RSB) with PRP. Materials and methods This was a randomized controlled trial conducted on 54 male patients with AGA attending the outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. Participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups (A and B). Group A participants were treated with Procapil with PRP, and group B participants were treated with redensyl, saw palmetto, and biotin with PRP at three weeks intervals for a total period of four sessions. Clinical improvement was assessed by serial hair photography by a third blinded observer and was recorded. Results A total of 54 individuals were included and were distributed into 27 each in group A and group B. AGA grading score was found significant between the groups with P < 0.05. Conclusion PRP with adjuvants redensyl, saw palmetto, and biotin can be a better alternative to the current therapies of PRP.

Combination therapy in female pattern hair loss.

Patterned hair loss is a common type of non-scarring alopecia, characterized by miniaturization of hair follicles. The etiology of female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is not clearly linked to androgens or other hormones thereby making it a challenging condition to treat. Various treatment modalities, like minoxidil (topical or oral), spironolactone, finasteride, have been tried alone or in combination with variable results. Combination therapy is superior to the monotherapy, since these multiple treatment modalities act by targeting different pathogenetic pathways, making the treatment aggressive and more effective.