Clinical Efficacy and Risks of Intradiscal Orthobiological Injections: A Narrative Review

Chronic discogenic low back pain (LBP) is a common cause of disability worldwide. Current management options include conservative, surgical, and minimally invasive interventional injections. Intradiscal orthobiological injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been introduced as regenerative treatment options.

Many studies have demonstrated improvements in patients' reported outcomes (PROMs) measuring the areas of pain, disability, function, and satisfaction. The results are promising with statistical improvements shown throughout various studies. Adverse events such as increased pain and infection have been reported with these injections; however, the complication rate has yet to be delineated. Numerous studies report no adverse events in their sample size. The present investigation summarizes recent evidence for the efficacy and risks of PRP, BMAC, and MSC injections.