← Evidence libraryKrogh PRP vs steroid vs saline
Treatment of lateral epicondylitis with platelet-rich plasma, glucocorticoid, or saline: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Krogh TP, Fredberg U, Stengaard-Pedersen K, et al. The American journal of sports medicine 2013 · PMID 23328738 · doi:10.1177/0363546512472975
Randomised trialManagementElbowCitation checked
- Question
- Does PRP or glucocorticoid injection outperform saline placebo for chronic lateral epicondylitis?
- Design
- Double-blind, placebo-controlled three-arm randomised trial in Denmark.
- Patients
- Adults with chronic lateral epicondylitis.
- Intervention
- PRP injection or glucocorticoid injection
- Comparison
- Saline injection
- Primary outcome
- Change in pain on the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) at 3 months
- Key result
- All groups improved, with no significant difference between PRP, glucocorticoid and saline at 3 months. Glucocorticoid gave better pain relief at 1 month and reduced tendon thickness and Doppler activity.
- Limitations
- Small trial with a single injection in each arm and a short primary end point.
- Impact on practice
- Placebo-controlled evidence that neither PRP nor steroid offers convincing benefit over saline, cautioning against routine use of either injection.