Single platelet-rich plasma injection for early stage of Osteoarthritis of the knee

Purpose \u2003The purpose of this study was to determine the safety efficacy and outcomes of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) intra-articular injections for early stages of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods \u2003Twenty-five patients affected by grade I and II knee primary OA according to the Kellgren-Lawrence scale received a single intra-articular PRP injection. Patients were prospectively evaluated for 6 months. Visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) scoring scales were used to evaluate clinical outcomes. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate significance of improvement of WOMAC, KOOS, and VAS scores. Results \u2003Twenty-one patients completed 6-months follow-up. The median WOMAC score improved from 29.1 points (range: 17.4-60.4; standard deviation [SD]\u2009=\u200913.0) at baseline to 42.41 (range: 24.3-71.2; SD\u2009=\u200912.5) at final follow-up. Improvements in median KOOS and VAS score have been also found, from 37.49 points and 64.2 mm before injection to 59.71 points and 42.8 mm, respectively. All these improvements were statistically significant ( p \u2009<\u20090.05). No adverse reactions have been observed. Conclusion \u2003Treating knee OA with PRP injection is safe. A single dose of PRP seems to be effective in managing pain and improving quality of life in patients with low-grade knee OA. Level of Evidence \u2003Level IV, therapeutic case series

Second edition of SIMPAR's "Feed Your Destiny" workshop: the role of lifestyle in improving pain management

: This review is aimed to summarize the latest data regarding pain and nutrition, which have emerged during the second edition of Feed Your Destiny (FYD). Theme presentations and interactive discussions were held at a workshop on March 30, 2017, in Florence, Italy, during the 9th Annual Meeting of Study in Multidisciplinary Pain Research, where an international faculty, including recognized experts in nutrition and pain, reported the scientific evidence on this topic from various perspectives. Presentations were divided into two sections. In the initial sessions, we analyzed the outcome variables and methods of measurement for health claims pertaining to pain proposed under Regulation EC No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. Moreover, we evaluated how the Mediterranean diet can have a potential impact on pain, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, cancer, and aging. Second, we discussed the evidence regarding vitamin D as a nutraceutical that may contribute to pain control, evaluating the interindividual variability of pain nature and nurture, and the role of micro-RNAs (miRNAs), polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acids, and phenolic compounds, with a final revision of the clinical role of nutrition in tailoring pain therapy. The key take-home message provided by the FYD workshop was that a balanced, personalized nutritional regimen might play a role as a synergic strategy that can improve management of chronic pain through a precision medicine approach