Knee pain caused by knee osteoarthritis is a condition that can not only affect how an individual walks but also how they live. Activities that once were fun—such as taking a hike or a walk with the grandkids—becomes difficult. The condition can also impede on daily exercise, causing other conditions to rise to the surface due to poor overall healthy living.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports the lifetime risk of developing symptomatic knee osteoarthritis stands close to 50 percent. That number rises considerably for obese individuals, and two out of three obese adults will come down with the condition.
Knee osteoarthritis can be caused for a number of reasons. Previous knee injuries, continuous strain on the knee, genetics and obesity are among the most common reasons. There are many options to treat knee osteoarthritis, but results vary per person. If a person is overweight, a doctor will recommend they lose weight and possibly use a knee brace or support. Exercise, physical therapy and surgery are also options.
Knee osteoarthritis occurs with the deterioration of the particular cartilage in the knee. A recent study determined that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy may be an effective treatment to "treat cartilage lesions to regenerate tissue homeostasis and retard the progression of knee osteoarthritis."
The study followed 50 patients for 12 months, treating all with two intra-articular injections of antologous PRP. Half had underwent previous knee operations and the other half did not. The researchers evaluated patients at the six and twelve month mark. The results of the study indicated that all patients showed improvement during both check-ins, and the study concluded that PRP therapy could be an effective alternative to invasive surgery or other treatments.