Role of Alpha-2-Microglobulin in the Treatment of Osteoarthritic Knee Pain: a Brief Review of the Literature (original) (raw)

2019, Current Pain and Headache Reports

Purpose of Review Chronic knee pain remains a debilitating condition that remains difficult to manage. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to summarize current understanding of alpha-2-microglobulin in the treatment of osteoarthritic knee pain. Furthermore, we investigate its role in the anti-inflammatory properties of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Recent Findings Alpha-2-microglobulin, a 720-kD protein complex, is an active protease inhibitor with tremendous antiinflammatory properties in animal models. A growing body of evidence suggests that this complex is the most instrumental factor for cartilage preservation in PRP injections. Summary As an active component of platelet-rich plasma's anti-inflammatory properties, alpha-2-microglobulin has been shown to be an active inhibitor of joint degeneration, cartilage preservation, and improvement in quality of life for patients with knee osteoarthritis compared with a multitude of other modalities.

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