Intradiscal injection of autologous platelet-rich fibrin versus platelet-rich plasma in discogenic lumbar pain: An applied comparative study

Objective: Discogenic lumbar pain is a very common cause of back pain. Injection of autologous Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in affected intervertebral disc is a novel therapeutic modality for discogenic lumbar pain. The current comparative prospective randomized study aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of intradiscal injection of PRF and PRP as a novel minimally invasive therapeutic modality for chronic discogenic lumbar pain in a cohort of Egyptians.

Methods: The current study was conducted on 132 patients with chronic lumbar discogenic pain. Patients were treated with intradiscal injection PRP or PRF; 88 patients with PRF and 44 patients with PRP.

Results: All participants were followed up and their response to therapy was analyzed by independent observers. Over 6 months of follow-up, there were statistically significant improvements in participants who received intradiscal PRF as regards to pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) compared to PRP. No adverse events of disc space infection, neurologic injury, or progressive herniation were reported following the injection.

Conclusion: Intradiscal injection of PRF and PRP are a safe and effective treatment for discogenic low back pain. Participants treated with intradiscal PRF injection experienced significantly greater clinical improvements compared to those who received intradiscal PRP. There were no reported complications after injection among enrolled participants. Although these results are encouraging, further wide-scale studies with larger sample size and longer follow up periods are needed to validate our results and determine the best candidates are for this treatment modality.