Questions & Answers · Regenerative
PRP vs. cortisone — which is better?
Cortisone wins the sprint: relief within days, usually covered by insurance, but typically fading in weeks to months. PRP wins the marathon in recent research: slower to start, but meta-analyses show better pain and function than cortisone at 6–18 months for knee arthritis. The right choice depends on which race your joint is running — and an honest practice will tell you when the answer is neither.
The honest comparison table, in prose
- Speed: cortisone in days; PRP builds over weeks.
- Duration: cortisone commonly 6 weeks–6 months; PRP's edge shows at the 6–18 month marks in studies.
- Cost: cortisone usually covered; PRP usually cash — roughly $500–$2,500 nationally per injection.
- Limits: cortisone carries a 3–4 per-joint yearly ceiling, and repeated doses may not be kind to cartilage; PRP is your own blood, so the constraint is evidence and wallet, not toxicity.
How we actually choose
Big flare before your daughter's wedding next month? Cortisone earns its keep. Forty-nine years old, moderate arthritis, trying to defer a replacement honestly? PRP has the better second act. Either way, injections buy a window — strength work is what the window is for, and if the joint is past what any needle can do, we'll say that plainly too.
Medically reviewed by Keith W.V. Johnson, MD, FAAOS · Updated September 28, 2026