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Background: Meniscal injuries frequently require surgical intervention to restore knee joint function and stability. Intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection has emerged as a potential adjunctive therapy to enhance tissue healing post-meniscal repair. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PRP in terms of pain relief, functional recovery, and overall success rates in patients undergoing meniscal repair procedures. Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies across Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. The inclusion criteria encompassed human studies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohorts, and case–control studies, focusing on intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) use post-meniscal repair and reporting outcomes related to pain, functionality, and cure rates. Exclusion criteria comprised animal studies, non-English publications, studies lacking relevant outcome measures, and those with insufficient data. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, resolving disagreements through consensus or consultation with a third reviewer, followed by a full-text assessment for potentially eligible studies. Data extraction was conducted independently by two reviewers using a standardized form. The reliability of observational studies was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Subgroup analyses and pooled effect estimates for main outcomes were computed using RevMan 5.3, a meta-analysis tool. Results: The demographic analysis revealed that the PRP group had an average age of 41.39 years, while the control group had an average age of 42.1 years. In terms of gender distribution, the PRP group consisted of 61 men and 29 women, while the control group had 62 men and 34 women. Pain ratings showed a preference for PRP with a mean difference of 4.83 (p= 0.13). However, there was no significant difference in Lysholm scores (mean difference: − 0.44, p = 0.91) or IKDC scores (mean difference: 2.80, p= 0.14) between the PRP and control groups. Similarly, ROM measures did not show a statistically significant difference, with a mean difference of 2.80 (p= 0.18). Additionally, there was no significant distinction in failure rates between the PRP and control groups, as indicated by a weighted mean difference of 0.71 (p= 0.52). These findings suggest that while PRP may offer some benefits in pain relief, its impact on functional recovery, range of motion, and failure rates following meniscal repair procedures is inconclusive. Conclusion: The current evidence regarding the effect of intraoperative platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on patients undergoing meniscal repair remains inconclusive. While some studies suggest potential benefits in terms of pain relief and functional recovery, others show no significant differences compared to control groups. The impact of PRP therapy on overall success rates, including rates of re-tear and revision surgery, is also uncertain. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed to provide more robust evidence and guide clinical practice in orthopedic surgery.

Background: Exosomes are the smallest extracellular vesicles (30–150 nm) secreted by all cell types, including synovial fluid. However, because biological fluids are complex, heterogeneous, and contain contaminants, their isolation is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) involves exosomes carrying complex components that cause macrophages to release chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. This narrative review aims to provide in-depth insights into exosome biology, isolation techniques, role in OA pathophysiology, and potential role in future OA therapeutics. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies involving exosomes in the osteoarthritis using keywords "Exosomes" and "Osteoarthritis". Relevant articles in the last 15 years involving both human and animal models were included. Studies involving exosomes in other inflammatory diseases were excluded. Results: Despite some progress, conventional techniques for isolating exosomes remain laborious and difficult, requiring intricate and time-consuming procedures across various body fluids and sample origins. Moreover, exosomes are involved in various physiological processes associated with OA, like cartilage calcification, degradation of osteoarthritic joints, and inflammation. Conclusion: The process of achieving standardization, integration, and high throughput of exosome isolation equipment is challenging and time-consuming. The integration of various methodologies can be employed to effectively address specific issues by leveraging their complementary benefits. Exosomes have the potential to effectively repair damaged cartilage OA, reduce inflammation, and maintain a balance between the formation and breakdown of cartilage matrix, therefore showing promise as a therapeutic option for OA.

Miniaturized electrodes are one of the most important components of “lab-on-a-chip” devices for separation, pumping, sensing, and other bioanalyses. In microfluidic-based chemical and bioanalytical operations, platinum electrodes are preferred to minimize the interaction with chemicals or biomolecules due to their chemical inertness. Although microfabrication techniques for patterning integrated platinum microelectrodes on silicon, quartz, or glass substrates are available, no techniques have been reported so far for depositing platinum electrodes in soft polymeric microchannels. A novel fabrication scheme is described for forming integrated microelectrodes in a poly-di-methyl-siloxane (PDMS) microchip. The electrode fabrication technique consists of photolithography, thermal processing, sequential sputtering of titanium and platinum, and stripping off photoresist, while soft lithography is used to form the microfluidic channels on PDMS. This approach facilitates precise positioning of the electrodes with a micron-size gap between them, and it can be used for both low and high aspect ratio channels. Platinum electrodes, formed on the PDMS channel surface, demonstrate very good interfacial adhesion with the substrate due to the use of a very thin titanium layer between the platinum and PDMS. The sputtered electrodes have a surface roughness of 50 nm and are able to sense picoA level current through benzene.