The Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Hemophilic Arthropathy

Background: The most clinical manifestation of hemophilia, as a congenital bleeding disorder, is the Intra-articular hemorrhage. The treatment of acute hemarthrosis with a sufficient amount of factor replacement will return the joint to the normal status. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of hemophilic arthropathy patients to reduce and improve their pain and physical function. Methods: Consecutive patients with hemophilic arthropathy were included in a self-control openlabel trial in Mofid Children’s Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All participants received three platelet-rich plasma injections given two weeks apart. Also, the seriate self-reported and objective clinical outcomes were evaluated before and three months after the treatment. Results: A total of 11 patients with hemophilic arthropathy involving 14 joints received three injections of platelet-rich plasma at 2-week intervals, at our center. All patients were evaluated with a visual analog scale, the hemophilia joint health score, and the range of motion, and bleeding events, before and after the treatment. Finally, 9 boys (81.8%) and 2 girls (18.2%) completed the study. The mean age of the participants was 14.7 years (range, 9-19 years). In all patients, statistically significant improvements were noted on all evaluated measures. Conclusion: Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a reasonable and minimally invasive procedure that includes beneficial chondro-regenerative properties.