Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection on the Treatment of Achilles Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Achilles tendinopathy is a common condition without a reproducible and timely treatment modality. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection has been proposed as an enticing treatment option, but there is no consensus regarding its effectiveness.

Purpose: To pool the available data and evaluate the evidence of the effect of PRP injections on Achilles tendinopathy.

Study design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing PRP injection with nonoperative treatment, with the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire score or maximal Achilles tendon (AT) thickness on ultrasound as outcome measures. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed of the included studies, and meta-analyses compared differences in outcome measures between PRP injection and control at the short-term (3-month), intermediate-term (6-month), and long-term (12-month) follow-ups.

Results: Of 409 publications, 6 publications (N = 422 patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy) were identified from the literature search. Risk-of-bias assessment revealed 2 studies were low risk, 1 was of some concern, and 3 were high risk of bias. Meta-analysis revealed no significant differences between PRP injection and control at any time point for both VISA-A score (short term: P = .29; intermediate term: P = .42; long term: P = .57) and maximal AT thickness (short term: P = .60; intermediate term: P = .20; long term: P = .55).

Conclusion: Our review demonstrated that although recent trends have shown an increasing popularity of PRP injection, no solid evidence has been established. The heterogenicity of the tendinopathy pathology and the PRP injection content and methodology should be controlled by better-designed clinical trials. Further research is needed before it should be recommended as a standard treatment.