What Conditions Can PRP Treat? A Look at the Evidence
For some problems, PRP has strong, consistent support from high-quality studies. For others, the results are promising but still evolving. Let’s walk through the major conditions where the evidence is strongest.
Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee OA, the “wear and tear” arthritis that affects millions of people, is the condition where PRP has been studied the most. A major 2025 meta-analysis pooled data from 18 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 2,000 patients and found that PRP provided clinically meaningful improvements in both pain and function compared to placebo injections. Pain relief exceeded the threshold for what patients can actually feel and appreciate at the 3- and 6-month marks, and functional improvement was significant at every time point measured from 1 month all the way through 12 months.
- One important finding: platelet concentration matters. Studies that used higher-concentration PRP showed more durable pain relief lasting up to 12 months, while lower-concentration preparations showed less consistent long-term benefit. This is one reason why the quality of PRP preparation is so important; not all PRP is created equal.
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
When PRP is compared to cortisone injections, cortisone tends to reduce pain in the short term (the first couple of weeks), providing faster pain relief and functional improvement. However, the tables turn at the 6-month mark and beyond where PRP provides significantly better long-term pain relief and functional improvement than cortisone. A 2025 randomized trial with 2-year follow-up compared PRP to physiotherapy, shockwave therapy, and prolotherapy in over 200 patients with chronic tennis elbow and PRP produced the greatest improvement in disability scores at 24 months and the highest patient satisfaction ratings. For patients who have failed conservative treatment (rest, physical therapy, bracing), PRP has shown particular promise. A 2025 meta-analysis specifically looking at patients who hadn’t responded to first-line therapies found that PRP significantly reduced pain at both 6 and 12 months compared to control treatments.
Plantar Fasciosis
A large 2025 meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials (over 1,600 patients) comparing PRP to cortisone injections found that PRP provided significantly better pain scores at 3 and 6 months and superior functional scores at 3, 6, and 12 months. As with tennis elbow, cortisone provided faster initial relief (within the first month), but PRP overtook it in the medium and long term. A comprehensive 2026 network meta-analysis comparing multiple treatments for plantar fasciitis including shockwave therapy, prolotherapy, cortisone, botulinum toxin, and PRP found that PRP supported the best long-term improvements in both function and plantar fascia thickness.
Rotator Cuff Problems
For rotator cuff tendinopathy and partial tears, a 2026 meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found that PRP provided significantly better shoulder function scores and pain reduction compared to cortisone at 6 months, with fewer adverse events. A retrospective study with nearly 4 years of average follow-up showed that ultrasound-guided PRP injections produced sustained improvements in pain and function that exceeded clinically meaningful thresholds.
It’s important to remember that PRP research is evolving rapidly. Professional medical societies recognize PRP as a promising treatment and emphasize the importance of continued research. While not every joint and tendon has as robust of research behind it as Knee OA and Tennis Elbow, we can extrapolate this data to help us make informed treatment decisions. New studies are published regularly, and our understanding of which PRP preparations work best for which conditions continues to improve. The quality of PRP preparation, the number of injections, and the specific technique used all influence outcomes.
Ready to find out if PRP is right for you? Opdahl Chiropractic & Regenerative Medicine offers a full spectrum of care from chiropractic and massage therapy to cutting-edge regenerative injection therapies like PRP all under one roof. Call us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward getting back to the life you love.