A Systematic Review of PRP Augmentation for Nondegenerative Meniscal Repair: Is There a Benefit?
Rayan Ben Letaifa, Youssef Garras, Nicole Liddy, Peter Joseph Mounsef, Sophie Dunn, Sten Kajitani, Matthew BestBackground:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has emerged as a potential biological augmentation strategy for enhancing meniscal repair. Current evidence suggests that PRP may enhance tissue regeneration by stimulating cell proliferation and collagen synthesis.
Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy of PRP augmentation in meniscal repair, specifically in cases of acute meniscal injuries.
Study Design:
Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted in July 2024 across PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. Eligible studies included those reporting on patients who underwent open or arthroscopic meniscal repair, with or without PRP augmentation. Data extraction focused on functional outcomes, including several patient-reported outcomes (PROs), clinical failure rates defined as the lack of healing on repeat arthroscopy or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), reoperation rates, and radiological assessments using MRI, ultrasound, and radiography. Statistical analysis via unpaired
Results:
Of the initial 253 studies, 8 met the inclusion criteria, comprising 800 patients. PRP augmentation was associated with a lower pooled failure rate (14.23% vs 20.39%;
Conclusion:
This systematic review indicates that PRP, used as an adjuvant in meniscal repair, may be associated with improved clinical and radiographic outcomes, particularly by reducing failure rates and enhancing PROs. However, heterogeneity in PRP protocols, patient populations, and outcome measures across studies highlights the need for standardized methods and larger patient cohorts in future clinical studies to better characterize the impact of PRP augmentation in meniscal repair interventions.