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Volume 13
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Article

Cord Blood-Derived Versus Homologous Donor Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Early Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Clinical Trial

by
Salvatore Alessio Angileri
1,
Enrica Cristini
2,
Simone Mazzola
2,
Giovanni Maria Rodà
1,*,
Chloe Yeabin Jung
3,
Salvatore Valentino
2,
Stefania Villa
4,
Tiziana Montemurro
4,
Larysa Mykhailova
4,
Letizia Di Meglio
1,
Simone Raoul Mortellaro
3,
Vittoria Chiarpenello
3,
Carolina Lanza
1,
Roberta Gualtierotti
5,6,
Daniele Prati
4,
Gianpaolo Carrafiello
1,7 and
Luigi Piero Solimeno
2
1
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 28, 20122 Milan, Italy
2
Division of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
3
Postgraduate School of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan, Italy
4
Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 28, 20122 Milan, Italy
5
Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, 20122 Milan, Italy
6
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan, Italy
7
Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Bioengineering 2026, 13(7), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070806
Submission received: 8 June 2026 / Revised: 3 July 2026 / Accepted: 9 July 2026 / Published: 14 July 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Regenerative Engineering)
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Abstract

Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections represent a promising biological treatment for early-stage knee osteoarthritis (KOA). As cord blood-derived PRP (CB-PRP) contains higher levels of bioactive mediators, this prospective study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of CB-PRP versus homologous donor PRP (HD-PRP) in patients with early KOA and to evaluate whether CB-PRP results in greater clinical improvement. Fifty-one patients aged 46–70 years with Kellgren–Lawrence grade 1–2 were randomized to receive either CB-PRP or HD-PRP. Each underwent three intra-articular injections at four-week intervals. Outcomes included pain-related overall health perception assessed by the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS), function measured with the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and quadriceps muscle strength evaluated by dynamometry. Assessments were performed at baseline and at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months. Both groups showed improvements in pain and function over 12 months, with no statistically significant between-group differences (p = 0.46). EQ-VAS increased from 59 ± 19 to 83 ± 9 in the CB-PRP group and from 59 ± 18 to 77 ± 18 in the HD-PRP group. KOOS improved from 50 ± 25 to 68 ± 23 and from 38 ± 28 to 59 ± 24, respectively. Quadriceps strength showed no intergroup differences. Adverse events were mild and self-limiting. Both treatments demonstrated comparable clinical benefits and favorable safety profiles.
Keywords: knee osteoarthritis; platelet-rich plasma; umbilical cord blood; regenerative medicine; intra-articular injection; cartilage regeneration knee osteoarthritis; platelet-rich plasma; umbilical cord blood; regenerative medicine; intra-articular injection; cartilage regeneration

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Angileri, S.A.; Cristini, E.; Mazzola, S.; Rodà, G.M.; Jung, C.Y.; Valentino, S.; Villa, S.; Montemurro, T.; Mykhailova, L.; Di Meglio, L.; et al. Cord Blood-Derived Versus Homologous Donor Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Early Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Clinical Trial. Bioengineering 2026, 13, 806. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070806

AMA Style

Angileri SA, Cristini E, Mazzola S, Rodà GM, Jung CY, Valentino S, Villa S, Montemurro T, Mykhailova L, Di Meglio L, et al. Cord Blood-Derived Versus Homologous Donor Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Early Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Clinical Trial. Bioengineering. 2026; 13(7):806. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070806

Chicago/Turabian Style

Angileri, Salvatore Alessio, Enrica Cristini, Simone Mazzola, Giovanni Maria Rodà, Chloe Yeabin Jung, Salvatore Valentino, Stefania Villa, Tiziana Montemurro, Larysa Mykhailova, Letizia Di Meglio, and et al. 2026. "Cord Blood-Derived Versus Homologous Donor Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Early Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Clinical Trial" Bioengineering 13, no. 7: 806. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070806

APA Style

Angileri, S. A., Cristini, E., Mazzola, S., Rodà, G. M., Jung, C. Y., Valentino, S., Villa, S., Montemurro, T., Mykhailova, L., Di Meglio, L., Mortellaro, S. R., Chiarpenello, V., Lanza, C., Gualtierotti, R., Prati, D., Carrafiello, G., & Solimeno, L. P. (2026). Cord Blood-Derived Versus Homologous Donor Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Early Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot Clinical Trial. Bioengineering, 13(7), 806. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070806

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