Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome and the Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is one of the most prevalent causes of lateral hip pain. The incidence rate is as high as 1.8 patients per 1000 annually, with females predominantly affected. We compared and analysed the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in treating GTPS. Literature search was carried out on PubMed, Embase and Cochrane by two independent reviewers using the terms: ‘Greater Trochanteric Pain syndrome’ and ‘Platelet-rich plasma'. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the Cochrane risk of bias tool and Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) tool were used to assess bias. Nine studies were shortlisted and reviewed for patient sample size, diagnostic modalities, the presence of tendinopathy or bursitis, the number of PRP injections administered, and the length of symptom relief achieved. We analysed nine studies between 2013 to 2024 comprising of a total of 508 patients who received treatment with PRP injections for lateral hip pain. There was an improvement and sustained relief in symptoms in eight studies, while one reported no change. Many studies indicated PRP injections to be more effective than corticosteroid injections (CSI) in treating GTPS. PRP appears to be an effective injectable treatment option for GTPS, which does not respond to conservative therapy. However, due to the limitations of the current literature, there is a need for more large-scale, high-quality randomized clinical trials to assess further the effectiveness of PRP for treating GTPS.