To evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP; double-spin) in treatment of single-level lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) in comparison to triamcinolone. RCT was conducted with 30 patients included.
The study was a randomized controlled trial, triple-blind, single-center/surgeon/assessor. The study was conducted between April 2019 to May 2021. We evaluated 30 patients (both genders) aged 20-55 years, having failed conservative treatment of unilateral HNP undergone for at least 6 weeks, with visual analogue scale (VAS) of greater than 30, and confirmed a single-level HNP, corelated to clinical, by MRI. The exclusion criteria included previous spine surgery or epidural injection, progressive neurological deficit, cauda equina, coagulopathy-related conditions, associated cervical myelopathy, systemic bone and joint diseases. All patients had to have been exempted from NSAIDs for at least one week. Patients were treated by transforaminal epidural injections. Fifteen patients were in triamcinolone and PRP groups each. PRP was obtained from 24 ml venous blood through standardized double-spin protocol. Participants were fifteen patients each in triamcinolone and PRP groups. The same postoperative protocols and medications were applied. The visual analogue scale of leg (LegVAS), collected at baseline, 2, 6, 12, and 24 weeks, was the primary outcome. The BackVAS, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), adverse event, and treatment failure were the secondary endpoints. All subjects were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA 17.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
30
1\. 26 ml of blood was obtained from each patient (6ml each in 4 CPDA and 2ml in EDTA for CBC) 2. First-spin of 900g for 5 minutes (Kokusan, H-19alpha, 25°C) 3. Three layers formed: transfer top layer (platelet poor plasma) and middle layer (platelets and WBC) to another sterile tube (about 3.3 ml), discard bottom layer (RBC) 4. Second-spin of 1000g for 10 minutes 5. The upper one third was discarded (platelet poor plasma) by pipet, the remaining was mixed by turning 10 times 6. Total 4 ml of PRP
40 mg triamcinolone with 1% lidocaine, total of 2 ml
Chuenrutai
Chon Buri, Thailand
VAS of leg pain
0-100 (visual analog score, 0 is the minimum and 100 is the maximum)
Time frame: at 24 weeks
VAS of back
0-100 (visual analog score, 0 is the minimum and 100 is the maximum)
Time frame: at 24 weeks
ODI
Oswestry Disability Index 0-100% (0 is the minimum and 100 is the maximum)
Time frame: at 24 weeks
adverse event
minor and major complications from injection
Time frame: up to 24 weeks
Rate of treatment failure [participant who require reinjection or operation]
During follow-up period, participant require either re-injection or operation \[yes/no\]
Time frame: up to 24 weeks
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