1. What diagnosis is the injection intended to treat?
Platelet-rich plasma is prepared from a person's blood and concentrates components including platelets. The procedure's name does not tell you whether it is appropriate for knee arthritis, a tendon problem or another condition. Ask for the exact diagnosis and the reason it explains your symptoms. If your main problem is advanced joint wear, evidence from a small tendon study cannot answer the same question. Bring imaging, earlier treatment records and the specific activity you hope to improve to the discussion.
Sources: Platelet-Rich Plasma
2. How do the professional recommendations differ?
The September 2026 ACR summary strongly recommends against PRP for knee and hip osteoarthritis, with low-certainty evidence. AAHKS also advises against routine biologic injections for advanced hip or knee arthritis. AAOS patient information describes possible benefit in some settings while acknowledging uncertainty and differences in preparation. These positions should be explained rather than selectively quoting the most favorable statement. Ask which population and outcome the proposed treatment relies on, and why that evidence would apply to your joint and disease severity.
Sources: 2026 ACR osteoarthritis recommendations: board-approved summary · Biologics for Advanced Hip and Knee Arthritis: 2025 Position Statement · Platelet-Rich Plasma
3. What product and protocol would I actually receive?
Ask how the preparation is described, how many sessions are proposed and whether the published evidence studied a comparable product and schedule. A brand name or concentration claim is not a clinical outcome. Find out whether imaging guidance, anesthetic, another injected substance or an additional procedure is included. If the plan changes between visits, ask why. Obtain a written description you can take to another clinician; you should not need to rely on a sales phrase to identify what you are considering.
Sources: Platelet-Rich Plasma
4. What would count as worthwhile improvement?
Separate less pain from better walking, improved sleep and return to a demanding sport. Ask how much improvement is realistic, when it would be assessed and what happens if benefit is brief. A treatment that improves symptoms does not necessarily repair the tissue or change the long-term course of arthritis. Before committing, write down the activities that are currently limited and ask which are reasonable targets. That gives follow-up a useful reference point instead of relying on an impression that something must have happened because treatment was costly.
Sources: Biologics for Advanced Hip and Knee Arthritis: 2025 Position Statement
5. What are the risks and opportunity costs?
Ask about infection, discomfort, procedure-related problems and any health factors that make the plan unsuitable. Also discuss what you would postpone while trying it: a structured rehabilitation course, another assessment or a replacement consultation. Avoid interpreting 'from your own blood' as meaning no risk or guaranteed compatibility with every condition. If someone recommends stopping a medicine, coordinate that instruction with its prescriber. You should understand the care plan during any trial, including how new symptoms will be evaluated.
Sources: Platelet-Rich Plasma
6. What will the full course cost?
Request an itemized estimate covering consultations, imaging, preparation, injections and follow-up. Ask what insurance has actually confirmed, what you would owe if a claim is denied, and whether further sessions are optional or part of a prepaid package. Find out whether a second opinion affects a package agreement. Financial commitment can make it harder to stop a disappointing treatment; agree in advance on the point at which the clinician would recommend changing direction. A higher price does not establish a stronger biological effect.
7. What are the reasonable alternatives?
Ask for a comparison with diagnosis-specific exercise, medications when appropriate, other evidence-based options and observation. If surgery is relevant, understand why it is or is not being considered now. At Commons Clinic, a consultation can help frame those decisions around your symptoms and goals; this article does not establish that a particular clinician offers PRP. Patient experiences about thoughtful explanations can help you choose a conversation, but they cannot resolve disputed treatment effectiveness or prove cartilage regrowth. Bring the treatment proposal itself so the discussion is concrete.
Make the most of your visit
Questions to bring to your consultation
Choose the questions that matter most to you. Bring them along, and ask us to explain anything that is unclear.
- Which diagnosis and severity does this evidence address?
- How do you interpret ACR and AAHKS recommendations for my case?
- What preparation and number of injections are proposed?
- Which meaningful activity should improve, and by when?
- What would make you stop or change the plan?
- What is the total likely out-of-pocket cost?
- Which established alternatives remain reasonable?
Sources & further reading
- Platelet-Rich PlasmaAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- 2026 ACR osteoarthritis recommendations: board-approved summaryAmerican College of Rheumatology
- Biologics for Advanced Hip and Knee Arthritis: 2025 Position StatementAAHKS · Published 2025
We use these medical sources to help explain your options and prepare you for a conversation with our team. Our guides feature our own clinicians; patient reviews describe individual experiences.
