What it is, how Medicare treats it, and what Australian sources say — with dates
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is made from your own blood. Blood is taken from a vein, processed to concentrate the platelets, and the concentrate is injected — most often into a joint such as the knee, or around a tendon. A published Australian review described PRP as used mainly in private sports medicine clinics (Mundy, 2017).
No. The Medicare Benefits Schedule states that no MBS item applies to a service provided at the same time as, or in connection with, an injection of blood or a blood product that is autologous (your own). PRP injections used to be billed to Medicare under a blood-administration item; from 1 January 2015 that item’s wording was changed to cover transfusion of blood and rebates for PRP injections stopped (Mundy, 2017).
Fees are set by each provider and can vary. Some questions people ask providers: what is the total cost, what is included, and is the fee itemised in writing before treatment?
| Source | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| RACGP knee and hip OA guideline | Page last revised 1 July 2018 | Unable to recommend either for or against PRP (conditional, neutral recommendation; very low quality evidence). The RACGP notes the guideline is being updated. |
| RESTORE trial (Bennell et al, JAMA) | November 2021 | 288 people with mild–moderate knee OA, PRP vs saline: no significant difference in pain or cartilage volume at 12 months. Authors: “findings do not support use of PRP” for knee OA. |
| Medicine Today (Carney & Fitzpatrick) | July 2021 (before RESTORE) | A differing view: PRP described as a reasonable option in specific cases of mild–moderate knee OA not responding to conservative care; no evidence it slows disease progression. |
Evidence on PRP continues to be published. Check the dates above and ask your doctor what is current. See also Joint injections for osteoarthritis for cortisone and hyaluronic acid.
The MBS Book (July 2026) states that no MBS item applies to a service mentioned in the item if the service is provided to a patient at the same time as, or in connection with, an injection of blood or a blood product that is autologous. There is no MBS item for PRP preparation or injection.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration publishes guidance titled Regulating platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and conditioned serum. Read it directly for current requirements.
Joint injections for osteoarthritis (patient comparison of cortisone, hyaluronic acid and PRP) · Procedure consent form generator (lists PRP as an option).
This summary reports published positions and does not recommend for or against any treatment. Evidence has been published since the dates shown; check current sources.
No. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) states that no MBS item applies to a service provided at the same time as, or in connection with, an injection of blood or a blood product that is autologous (the person's own). PRP injections were billed to Medicare under a blood-administration item until 1 January 2015, when the item wording was changed to cover transfusion of blood and rebates for PRP injections stopped. Fees are set by each provider, so ask for an itemised fee before treatment.
The RACGP Guideline for the management of knee and hip osteoarthritis (page last revised 1 July 2018) made a conditional (neutral) recommendation based on very low quality evidence: it was unable to recommend either for or against PRP for knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. The RACGP page notes the guideline is being updated and may not reflect the most current evidence.
The RESTORE randomised clinical trial (Bennell et al, JAMA, November 2021) enrolled 288 people aged 50 or older with mild to moderate medial knee osteoarthritis in Sydney and Melbourne. Three weekly injections of leukocyte-poor PRP were compared with saline placebo. At 12 months the mean change in knee pain was -2.1 with PRP and -1.8 with placebo (difference -0.4, 95% CI -0.9 to 0.2, P = .17), and cartilage volume change was not significantly different. The authors concluded the findings do not support use of PRP for the management of knee osteoarthritis.
Yes. A July 2021 Medicine Today article by Carney and Fitzpatrick judged PRP a reasonable option in specific cases of mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis not responding to conservative care, citing meta-analyses, while noting there is no evidence it slows disease progression. That article was published before the RESTORE trial results appeared in November 2021. This page reports the positions and does not recommend for or against treatment.