PRP Injections for Knee Arthritis: What You Need to Know About This Promising Treatment

If you're dealing with knee arthritis pain, you've probably tried everything from over-the-counter medications to physical therapy. When those options don't provide enough relief, you might start wondering about other treatments. That's where platelet-rich plasma therapy comes in.

Here's what I tell my patients: PRP injections for knee arthritis represent one of the most exciting advances in treating joint pain without surgery. After treating hundreds of patients with various arthritis treatments, I've seen how this approach can offer real hope for people who want to avoid knee replacement surgery or reduce their dependence on pain medications.

What Is PRP Therapy and How Does It Work?

Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses your body's own healing mechanisms to reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair. The process starts with a simple blood draw from your arm - just like getting routine lab work done.

Your blood gets spun in a special machine called a centrifuge. This separates the different parts of your blood and concentrates the platelets. The result is a plasma solution that contains 3-5 times more platelets than regular blood.

Why does this matter? These concentrated platelets are packed with growth factors and proteins that help your body heal damaged tissue. When injected into your arthritic knee joint, they can potentially reduce inflammation and encourage your cartilage to repair itself.

The Science Behind PRP for Knee Pain Relief

The platelets in PRP release several important substances:

• Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
• Transforming growth factor (TGF-β)
• Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I)
• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

These growth factors work together to reduce inflammation in your knee joint and may help slow down cartilage breakdown. Some research suggests they might even help your body grow new, healthier cartilage tissue.

What to Expect During PRP Knee Arthritis Treatment

When you come in for PRP therapy, the entire process typically takes 30-60 minutes. Here's what happens:

First, we draw about 30-60 milliliters of blood from your arm. While that might sound like a lot, it's actually less than what you'd give during a blood donation.

Next, your blood goes into the centrifuge machine for about 15 minutes. This separates the platelets from the red blood cells and other components.

The concentrated PRP is then carefully injected directly into your knee joint. We often use ultrasound guidance to make sure the injection goes exactly where it needs to go. Most patients say the injection feels similar to getting a cortisone shot.

Recovery After PRP Injections

After your injection, you might experience some temporary soreness or swelling at the injection site. This is completely normal and usually goes away within a day or two.

I recommend that patients:

• Avoid high-impact activities for 48-72 hours
• Use ice for 15-20 minutes at a time if there's swelling
• Take acetaminophen for pain if needed (avoid NSAIDs for the first few days)
• Continue with gentle range-of-motion exercises as tolerated

The healing process with PRP is different from other treatments. You probably won't feel immediate relief like you might with a steroid injection. Instead, the benefits typically develop gradually over 2-6 weeks as your body's healing response kicks in.

Benefits and Success Rates of PRP Therapy for Knee Arthritis

Research shows that PRP therapy can offer several important benefits for people with knee arthritis:

Pain Relief: Many patients report significant reduction in knee pain that can last 6-12 months or longer. In my experience, about 60-70% of patients see meaningful improvement in their pain levels.

Improved Function: Studies consistently show that people who receive PRP injections often report better knee function and mobility. This means you might be able to return to activities you've been avoiding due to pain.

Reduced Inflammation: PRP appears to help calm the inflammatory process that drives arthritis pain and joint damage.

Longer-Lasting Relief: Unlike steroid injections that typically provide 6-12 weeks of relief, PRP benefits often last 6-12 months.

Who Benefits Most from PRP Treatment?

The research suggests that certain patients tend to respond better to PRP therapy:

• People between ages 51-65
• Those with mild to moderate arthritis (not severe, end-stage disease)
• Patients who haven't responded well to conservative treatments
• People who want to delay or avoid knee replacement surgery

Understanding the Risks and Limitations

While PRP therapy is generally safe, it's important to understand both the potential risks and limitations.

Potential Side Effects

Since PRP uses your own blood, the risk of allergic reactions is minimal. However, like any injection procedure, there are some possible side effects:

• Temporary increased pain or swelling after injection
• Minor risk of infection (less than 1%)
• Rare nerve or blood vessel injury
• Temporary stiffness in the knee

Treatment Limitations

PRP therapy isn't effective for everyone. Some important limitations include:

• Results vary significantly between patients
• May be less effective in severe, end-stage arthritis
• Multiple sessions are often needed for optimal results
• Currently not covered by most insurance plans
• More research is needed to establish standardized protocols

Comparing PRP to Other Knee Arthritis Treatments

When I discuss treatment options with patients, they often want to know how PRP compares to other available treatments.

PRP vs. Steroid Injections

Steroid injections often provide faster initial relief, especially in the first 4-6 weeks. However, PRP typically outperforms steroids at 3-6 months after treatment. Steroids can also have more significant side effects and may actually damage cartilage with repeated use.

PRP vs. Hyaluronic Acid Injections

Research suggests that PRP appears to outperform hyaluronic acid in most studies. PRP benefits tend to last longer - typically 6-12 months compared to 3-6 months for hyaluronic acid.

PRP vs. Surgery

For appropriate candidates, PRP can potentially delay or eliminate the need for knee replacement surgery. While surgery provides more predictable results for severe arthritis, PRP offers a much less invasive option with shorter recovery time.

The Treatment Process: What Happens Next?

If you're considering PRP therapy, here's what the typical treatment process looks like:

Initial Consultation

During your first visit, we'll review your medical history, examine your knee, and often order X-rays or MRI to assess the severity of your arthritis. This helps determine if you're a good candidate for PRP therapy.

Treatment Planning

Most patients receive a series of 1-3 injections, typically spaced 2-4 weeks apart. Some recent research suggests that multiple injections (3-5 treatments) may provide better long-term results than single injections.

Follow-up Care

We'll schedule regular follow-up visits to monitor your progress and determine if additional treatments are needed. Some patients benefit from "booster" injections every 6-12 months.

Supporting Your Recovery: The Importance of Proper Rest and Positioning

While PRP therapy can provide significant benefits, your recovery success also depends on how well you support your body's healing process. This is where proper rest and positioning become crucial.

After any knee procedure, including PRP injections, getting quality sleep is essential for healing. However, finding a comfortable sleeping position with knee pain can be challenging. The SRS Restore You Therapeutic device offers a clinical-grade solution that helps patients maintain proper positioning during sleep, potentially enhancing their recovery from PRP therapy.

This specialized support system allows you to sleep comfortably in your own bed rather than being forced to sleep in a recliner, which often leads to poor sleep quality and slower healing. With a 96% success rate in clinical use, proper positioning support can complement your PRP treatment by ensuring your body gets the quality rest it needs for optimal healing.

When to Consider PRP Therapy

You might be a good candidate for PRP injections if you:

• Have mild to moderate knee arthritis
• Experience daily knee pain despite conservative treatment
• Want to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery
• Haven't gotten adequate relief from physical therapy, medications, or steroid injections
• Are looking for a treatment with longer-lasting benefits
• Prefer a treatment that uses your body's natural healing mechanisms

However, PRP may not be the best choice if you have:

• Severe, end-stage arthritis with significant bone-on-bone contact
• Active infection in or around the knee
• Certain blood disorders
• Cancer or are undergoing cancer treatment

The Future of PRP Treatment

Research into PRP therapy continues to evolve. Scientists are working to optimize preparation methods, determine ideal dosing protocols, and identify which patients are most likely to respond well to treatment.

Some exciting areas of ongoing research include:

• Combining PRP with other treatments like stem cell therapy
• Using imaging guidance to improve injection accuracy
• Developing standardized preparation protocols
• Investigating the use of PRP for other joint conditions

Making the Decision: Is PRP Right for You?

Deciding whether to try PRP therapy is a personal choice that depends on many factors including your age, activity level, severity of arthritis, and treatment goals.

I encourage patients to consider PRP when they're looking for:

• A treatment that addresses the underlying problem, not just symptoms
• Longer-lasting relief than traditional injections provide
• An option that might help them avoid surgery
• A treatment with minimal side effects

However, it's important to have realistic expectations. While many patients experience significant improvement, PRP isn't a cure for arthritis. The goal is to reduce pain, improve function, and potentially slow the progression of joint damage.

Taking the Next Step

If you're struggling with knee arthritis pain and haven't found adequate relief with conservative treatments, PRP therapy might be worth discussing with your doctor. The key is finding a healthcare provider who has experience with PRP treatments and can help you understand whether you're a good candidate.

Remember that successful treatment often involves a comprehensive approach. This might include PRP therapy combined with physical therapy, appropriate exercise, weight management, and proper recovery support to optimize your results.

Don't let knee arthritis limit your life. With advances like PRP therapy and proper recovery support, many patients are able to return to activities they love while avoiding more invasive procedures.

Recent Research Summary

Meta-analysis of PRP Effectiveness (Bensa et al., 2025): This comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that PRP offered clinically significant functional improvement at 1, 3, 6, and 12-month follow-up points compared to placebo for knee osteoarthritis treatment. The study showed that high-platelet PRP provided superior pain relief and more durable functional improvements compared to low-platelet formulations, with the improvement exceeding minimal clinically important difference thresholds at 3-month and 6-month follow-up points. (Bensa, A., et al. "PRP Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: The Improvement Is Clinically Significant and Influenced by Platelet Concentration." The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025; 53(3):745-754.)

Comprehensive Review of PRP Mechanisms (Szwedowski et al., 2022): This systematic review analyzed the molecular mechanisms and clinical efficacy of intra-articular PRP injections for knee osteoarthritis, finding that PRP demonstrated superior results compared to corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and placebo at 3, 6, and 12-month follow-ups in level I evidence meta-analyses. The review highlighted that PRP's effectiveness stems from its high concentrations of growth factors including PDGF, TGF-β, IGF-I, and VEGF, which promote tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and potentially slow cartilage degeneration, though the authors noted that further placebo-controlled studies are needed to establish definitive clinical protocols. (Szwedowski, D., et al. "Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Outcomes." International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022; 23(3):1301.)

Clinical Outcomes Study Comparing Injection Frequencies (Zhuang et al., 2024): This prospective study of 284 patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis compared the effectiveness of single, three, and five PRP injections using standardized leukocyte-rich PRP preparation and ultrasound guidance. Results showed that both three-injection and five-injection protocols provided statistically superior VAS pain scores and WOMAC functional outcomes compared to single injections at 6, 12, 24, and 52-week follow-ups, with multiple injections demonstrating better clinical efficacy and suggesting that a series of 3-5 PRP treatments may optimize patient outcomes for knee osteoarthritis management. (Zhuang, W., et al. "Comparative analysis of the efficacy of different frequencies of platelet-rich plasma injections in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis." Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, 2024; 19:284.)

This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment for knee arthritis. Individual results may vary, and treatment outcomes depend on many factors including the severity of your condition and your overall health.