Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment More Effective than Cortisone for Chronic Hip Bursitis

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment is more effective than cortisone for chronic severe hip bursitis, according to a study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

For the study, 40 patients were selected to receive a single injection of either 40 mg of methylprednisolone or PRP. The patients’ functionality was assessed before and after hip treatment using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). Before the injections, both groups’ scores were nearly the same; the first group’s HHS and WOMAC scores were 50.5 and 58.3, respectively, and the second group scored 51.7 and 58.8.

After 3 months, the methylprednisolone group reported an average HHS score of 75.3 and a WOMAC score of 83.6, compared to the PRP patients, who scored 84.2 and 91.4, respectively.

At 1 year after treatment, the PRP scores remained high at 87.4 for HHS and 89.3 for WOMAC, while the cortisone patients’ scores lowered to near pre-treatment levels of 58.8 for HHS and 63.4 for WOMAC).

“This level 2 study suggests that PRP injection is significantly more effective and durable than cortisone injection for the treatment of severe chronic greater trochanteric bursitis refractory to traditional non-operative management,” study author Raymond R. Monto, MD, concluded.