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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)PRPNCT06184048

Validation of a Low-cost Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

A study testing Intra-Articular knee injection of LC-PRP in people with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Knee Osteoarthritis (OA), run by University of Utah at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Knee osteoarthritis is an extremely common and debilitating condition, more common in women, with an estimated global prevalence of 16%, and as high as 50% by the age of 80. Current management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) revolves around conservative treatments- biomechanical interventions, intra-articular injections… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Intra-Articular knee injection of LC-PRP
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
20 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
15 Sep 2023to 10 Oct 2024
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients of any adult age with symptomatic Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) score 1-3 knee OA, based on radiographs within the last six months.
  • Patients must have failed at least six weeks of conventional conservative treatments (such as medication or physical therapy).
  • Patients with bilateral knee OA will only be eligible if both knees fit the criteria; each knee will count separately.

Who cannot join

  • Recent (last two years) knee surgery,
  • Prior orthobiologic injection(s) into the knee,
  • Known major axial deviation (over 30 degrees)
  • Known thrombocytopenia (platelets under 50,000), thrombocythemia (platelets over 1,000,000), known platelet disorder (ITP, TTP, or Lowe syndrome)
  • Active systemic infection requiring antibiotics, or local infection at the site of injection,
  • Non-ambulatory patients,
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Patients seeking care with active litigation pending
  • Body mass index (BMI) over 40
  • Injection into the affected joint within the last six months
  • Oral steroids consumed within the last three months.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Utah Orthopedic Center

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108

Other trials in United States

About this study

Knee osteoarthritis is an extremely common and debilitating condition, more common in women, with an estimated global prevalence of 16%, and as high as 50% by the age of 80. Current management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) revolves around conservative treatments- biomechanical interventions, intra-articular injections, exercise, self-management and education, oral or topical medications, strength training, and weight management - or surgical management. For injection therapies, corticosteroids remain the standard of care; approximately 84% of sports medicine physicians perform these knee injections at least monthly, reporting a median range of 11-20 injections per month. Multiple detrimental effects of corticosteroid injections are well-known, including alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, blood glucose levels, bone turnover, inflammatory response, blood pressure, and psychologic well-being. Thus, alternative therapies are of the utmost importance.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is an injectable preparation of a patient's blood that can be used for numerous conditions and has received significant attention over the past several years for its potential application for the treatment of pain and functional impairment due to knee OA. Systematic reviews of randomized-controlled trials have demonstrated equivalent-to-superior treatment outcomes associated with the use of intra-articular PRP compared to placebo, hyaluronic acid, and corticosteroid. Furthermore, use of intra-articular PRP is associated with a very low rate of adverse events and is likely safer than injectable corticosteroids. Concerns that have limited a wider use of PRP include two main concerns - an uncertainty regarding the current evidence base due to study-related bias, heterogeneity, and lack of reporting standards; and second, more importantly, the main issue remains high cost.

Read the detailed description

Study Purposes and Objectives:

The study will directly address two concerns - proper reporting of PRP composition and greatly decreasing cost. As socioeconomic inequity directly relates to disability related to knee Osteoarthritis (OA), limiting the cost of treatment is of the utmost importance to ensure appropriate delivery of care to all patients. As PRP is currently not covered by the vast majority of public and private payors, patients are required to pay for the injections out of pocket, with an average cost of $714 per injection (as high as $2,092). Furthermore, research studies relating to PRP are often expensive due to the cost of the traditional method of extracting PRP, generally with commercial kits, and thus limited in scope. The investigators have developed and implemented a low-cost PRP (LC-PRP) preparation technique and have safely performed the injections on hundreds of patients with knee OA. The cost of this preparation technique is equivalent to the cost of a vial of corticosteroid and it is easy to replicate. In conjunction with Internal Departmental matching funds, this grant will cover the cost of resources to support the study, which will allow for future clinical and research endeavors in this realm.

The primary goal of this study is to validate this easy-to-replicate LC-PRP preparation technique to demonstrate that its composition is equivalent to standard, commercially-available PRP preparation kits. Validation must include data that match the minimum reporting standards for clinical studies evaluating PRP. Once validated, this will allow for a low-cost method to prepare PRP in countless clinical and research realms. Specifically, the investigators will analyze the components of both the whole blood (the subject's blood from which the PRP is extracted) and the PRP itself. Based on extensive pilot data, the platelet yield - the amount of platelets extracted from the patient's whole blood - is equivalent to those seen from expensive, commercially-available kits. Though this study will use neutrophil-poor PRP, this method can just as easily create neutrophil-rich PRP for other future clinical needs.

The investigators secondary goal is to prospectively evaluate pain and functional outcomes in a cohort of patients with knee OA. Based on the investigators pilot data, zero significant adverse events have been reported after treatment of over 1,000 patients with this technique in two separate geographical regions. The investigators have incomplete clinical outcome data, but it preliminarily demonstrates positive outcomes at 3 and 6 months in cohort. The investigators plan on using the results of this validation study to seek external funding for a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) comparing LC-PRP to corticosteroid injection for knee OA.

The investigator's tertiary goal is to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of LC-PRP compared to corticosteroid injection from a payor perspective using a computer simulation model. This simulation model, to be performed by Dr. Nelson, will be parameterized using a combination of data from the proposed study and from previously published literature. This model will also be a stepping stone for a cost-effectiveness analysis that will be conducted alongside the aforementioned future RCT.

Being tested
Intra-Articular knee injection of LC-PRP
Keywords
Platelet-Rich Plasma, PRP, Neutrophil-poor PRP
Medical subject headings
Osteoarthritis, Knee

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Intra-Articular knee injection of LC-PRPProcedure or surgery

    Blood Collection 45mL, Processed Neutrophil-Poor PRP, 2 Injections at day 0 and 3 weeks.

Study groups in NCT06184048
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Directly Address Two Concerns - Proper Reporting of PRP Composition and Greatly Decreasing CostOtherAs socioeconomic inequity directly relates to disability related to knee Osteoarthritis (OA), limiting the cost of treatment is of the utmost importance to ensure appropriate delivery of care to all patients. As PRP is currently not covered by the vast majority of public and private payors, patients are required to pay for the injections out of pocket, with an average cost of $714 per injection (as high as $2,092). Furthermore, research studies relating to PRP are often expensive due to the cost of the traditional method of extracting PRP, generally with commercial kits, and thus limited in scope. The investigators have developed and implemented a low-cost PRP (LC-PRP) preparation technique and have safely performed the injections on hundreds of patients with knee OA.
Receives: Procedure: Intra-Articular knee injection of LC-PRP

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The primary goal of this study is to validate our easy-to replicate LC-PRP preparation technique

    The primary goal of this study is to validate the investigator(s) easy-to-replicate LC-PRP preparation technique to demonstrate that its composition is equivalent to standard, commercially-available PRP preparation kits. The investigators will specifically compare the quantity of platelets derived from their system compared to previously published platelet counts for commercially available PRP preparation kits.

    Measured: 24-Months

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Pain and functional outcomes

    Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the second injection. Lastly, the investigator(s) will be evaluating adverse events for safety purposes.(functional and pain measure)

    Measured: 24-Months

  2. QOL outcomes

    EQ-5D (EuroQual, quality of life measure) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the second injection. Lastly, the investigator(s) will be evaluating adverse events for safety purposes.

    Measured: 24-Months

  3. Global impression of change

    Global impression of change at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the second injection.

    Measured: 24-Months

  4. Patient Satisfaction (GPS)

    Global patient satisfaction (GPS) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the second injection.

    Measured: 24-Months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Dec 2023
  2. Study start15 Sep 2023
  3. Primary completion15 Jun 2024
  4. Study completion10 Oct 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Recruitment will take place at the University of Utah Orthopedic Center by physician and study study staff members EMR chart review prior to patient visits. The investigator plans to recruit a total of 30 participants to this project over a 24 month period of time.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06184048
Sponsor's protocol ID
00159071
Acronym
PRP
Status last verified
Nov 2025
First submitted
31 Oct 2022
Last updated
17 Nov 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Chu J, Duan W, Yu Z, Tao T, Xu J, Ma Q, Zhao L, Guo JJ. Intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma decrease pain and improve functional outcomes than sham saline in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2022 Dec;30(12):4063-4071. doi: 10.1007/s00167-022-06887-7. Epub 2022 Feb 6.

    PubMed 35124707
  • Dai WL, Zhou AG, Zhang H, Zhang J. Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arthroscopy. 2017 Mar;33(3):659-670.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2016.09.024. Epub 2016 Dec 22.

    PubMed 28012636
  • Chu CR, Rodeo S, Bhutani N, Goodrich LR, Huard J, Irrgang J, LaPrade RF, Lattermann C, Lu Y, Mandelbaum B, Mao J, McIntyre L, Mishra A, Muschler GF, Piuzzi NS, Potter H, Spindler K, Tokish JM, Tuan R, Zaslav K, Maloney W. Optimizing Clinical Use of Biologics in Orthopaedic Surgery: Consensus Recommendations From the 2018 AAOS/NIH U-13 Conference. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Jan 15;27(2):e50-e63. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00305.

    PubMed 30300216
  • Belk JW, Kraeutler MJ, Houck DA, Goodrich JA, Dragoo JL, McCarty EC. Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Hyaluronic Acid for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Sports Med. 2021 Jan;49(1):249-260. doi: 10.1177/0363546520909397. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

    PubMed 32302218

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Intra-Articular knee injection of LC-PRP in people with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Knee Osteoarthritis (OA), run by University of Utah at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The primary goal of this study is to validate our easy-to replicate LC-PRP preparation technique (time frame: 24-Months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06184048, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Nov 2025.

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