Orthopedic PRP
    Orthopedic PRP

    PRP Injection Side Effects and Risks: What Patients Should Know

    PRP therapy is generally safe, but side effects do occur. Learn what's normal after an injection, which symptoms need attention, and how PRP risks compare to alternatives.

    March 6, 2026
    PRP therapy uses your own blood, which eliminates the allergic and rejection risks associated with foreign substances. That makes it one of the safer injection options available. But side effects do occur, most of them mild and temporary. Understanding what to expect after a PRP injection — and knowing which symptoms are not normal — helps you recover confidently.
    PRP therapy has a favorable safety profile compared to corticosteroid injections
    PRP therapy has a favorable safety profile compared to corticosteroid injections

    Common Side Effects of PRP Injections

    The most common side effects are at the injection site and are a normal part of the healing response PRP is designed to trigger:
    Pain and soreness. Most patients experience increased pain at the injection site for 3 to 5 days after treatment. This is expected. PRP works by concentrating growth factors that kick off an inflammatory healing cascade. The initial soreness signals the process is underway, not that something went wrong.
    Swelling and warmth. Some local swelling and warmth around the treated joint or tendon is normal in the first 48 to 72 hours. For joint injections, mild joint effusion (fluid buildup) may occur.
    Bruising. Bruising at the needle site or along the blood draw site in the arm is common and resolves within a week.
    These reactions are generally mild and resolve within 3 to 7 days. A systematic review in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research1 found no serious adverse events attributable to PRP across multiple randomized trials.

    Less Common and Rare Risks

    More significant complications are rare but possible:
    Infection. Any injection carries a small risk of infection. A trained provider using sterile technique keeps this risk very low, typically below 1 in 1,000. Signs of infection — spreading redness, fever, escalating pain after the first week — require immediate medical attention.
    Nerve or blood vessel injury. Proper injection technique minimizes this risk. Imaging-guided injections (ultrasound) further reduce it by allowing the physician to visualize needle placement in real time.
    Calcification. Rarely, repeated tendon injections may contribute to calcification at the treatment site. This is more common with certain injection types than PRP specifically.
    Because PRP uses autologous blood — meaning your own cells — risks of immune reaction, rejection, or disease transmission are effectively eliminated. This distinguishes it favorably from corticosteroids (which can degrade cartilage with repeated use) and synthetic substances like hyaluronic acid (which carries a small risk of pseudo-septic reaction).

    PRP Side Effects vs Cortisone Side Effects

    A key reason many patients and physicians are moving toward PRP is its superior safety profile compared to corticosteroid injections.
    Cortisone provides faster pain relief but repeated use weakens tendon and cartilage tissue. A review published in Arthroscopy2 noted that corticosteroids are associated with cartilage degradation, tendon weakening, and local skin changes with repeated injections. PRP carries none of these structural risks.
    For patients with knee osteoarthritis or chronic tendinopathy who need long-term management, avoiding repeated cortisone while achieving similar or better pain control is a meaningful clinical advantage.

    Warning Signs to Watch For After PRP

    While serious complications are rare, you should contact your provider immediately if you experience:
    Fever above 101°F (38.3°C), rapidly spreading redness or red streaks around the injection site, significant and worsening joint swelling after day 3, pus or discharge at the injection site, or numbness or tingling in the limb below the injection.
    These symptoms are uncommon but require prompt evaluation to rule out infection or nerve involvement. Normal post-injection soreness improves each day after day 3. Pain that escalates rather than improves after the first week warrants a call to your provider. See our complete PRP recovery guide for a day-by-day breakdown of what to expect.

    Frequently Asked Questions

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    Our network of PRP specialists can walk you through the risks, benefits, and expected recovery for your specific condition.

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    Sources

    1. Shen L, Yuan T, Chen S, et al. The temporal effect of platelet-rich plasma on pain and physical function in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Orthop Surg Res. 2017;12(1):16. PubMed
    2. Belk JW, Kraeutler MJ, Houck DA, et al. What Is the Appropriate Price for Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis? A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. Arthroscopy. 2020;36(5):1397–1403. PubMed

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