Peerbooms PRP lateral epicondylitis

Positive effect of an autologous platelet concentrate in lateral epicondylitis in a double-blind randomized controlled trial: platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injection with a 1-year follow-up

Peerbooms JC, Sluimer J, Bruijn DJ, et al. The American journal of sports medicine 2010 · PMID 20448192 · doi:10.1177/0363546509355445

Question

Is PRP injection more effective than corticosteroid injection for chronic lateral epicondylitis at 1 year?

Design

Double-blind multicentre RCT in the Netherlands.

Patients

Adults with chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Intervention

Autologous platelet concentrate (PRP) injection

Comparison

Corticosteroid injection

Primary outcome

Treatment success on VAS pain and DASH score at 1 year

Key result

Corticosteroid gave better early relief but its effect faded, whereas the PRP group had significantly more successful outcomes at 1 year.

Limitations

Compared against steroid (which may worsen long-term outcomes) rather than placebo, so the true effect of PRP remains uncertain.

Impact on practice

Frequently cited support for PRP in tennis elbow and a reminder that steroid gives only short-term benefit; NICE permits PRP for tendinopathy only with special arrangements for audit and consent.