Platelet-rich plasma induced healing of a chronic osteochondral defect of the knee

Abstract

Introduction

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has increasingly been used in sports medicine to promote tissue healing. No previous study has demonstrated the effect of PRP alone for treatment of osteochondral defects of the knee.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a 37-year-old male who was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans of the medial femoral condyle in 2000. At that time, he underwent arthroscopic repair. In 2018, he presented for increased medial knee pain and catching. He elected to proceed with an initial PRP injection in 2018 and returned for 3 more injections through 2021. After the 4 injections, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated interval healing of the osteochondral defect with markedly smaller dimensions than the original 2018 MRI [0.7 cm × 0.5 cm].

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first case of MRI-proven healing of an osteochondral defect with PRP (without accompanying cartilage restoration surgery). Ongoing treatment with an anabolic therapy like PRP may facilitate symptom improvement and structural healing.