Autologous platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of venous leg ulcers in primary care: a randomised controlled, pilot study.

Objective: To examine the potential efficacy and safety of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in comparison with the conventional treatment (standard care, SoC) for the treatment of leg ulcers in patients with chronic venous insufficiency, in a primary health-care setting.

Method: A Phase I-II, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, randomised pilot study was conducted. The outcome variables at baseline and at weeks five and nine included reduction in the ulcer area, Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life Questionnaire score, cost of the treatment for up to nine weeks and average weekly cure rate.

Results: A total of eight patients, each with at least a six-month history of venous leg ulcer (VLUs), were included in the study. A total of 12 ulcers were treated with either autologous PRP or standard SoC. Patients treated with PRP required wound care only once per week. In the SoC group, patients required intervention 2-3 times per week. A reduction in the mean ulcer size in the PRP group was 3.9cm compared with the SoC group at 3.2cm , although the sample size was insufficient to reach statistical significance. Improvement in quality of life (QoL) score was observed in the patients in the PRP group.

Conclusion: This study offers proof-of-concept of the feasibility and safety of PRP treatment to inform larger clinical trials in patients with VLUs. Our preliminary results suggest that PRP delivers a safe and effective treatment for VLU care that can be implemented in primary health-care settings.