Pain and activity levels before and after platelet-rich plasma injection treatment of patellar tendinopathy: A prospective cohort study and the influence of previous treatments

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with patellar tendinopathy treated with plateletrich plasma injections (PRP). Additionally, this study examined whether certain characteristics, such as activity level or previous treatment affected the results. Methods Patients (n=36) were asked to fill in the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment - Patellar questionnaire (VISA-P) and visual analogue scales (VAS), assessing pain in activities of daily life (ADL), during work and sports, before and after treatment with PRP. Of these patients, 14 had been treated before with cortisone, ethoxysclerol, and/or surgical treatment (group 1), while the remaining patients had not been treated before (group 2). Results Overall, group 1 and group 2 improved significantly on the VAS scales (p