# Comparing Regenerative and Rehabilitative Strategies for Female Stress Urinary Incontinence: Platelet-Rich Plasma vs. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training—A Prospective Study Evaluating Quality of Life

## TL;DR

This study compares platelet-rich plasma injections and pelvic floor muscle training for treating stress urinary incontinence in women, finding that PRP offers greater and more consistent improvements in quality of life.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence that repeated PRP injections are more effective than PFMT for SUI treatment.

## Key findings

- PRP injections showed comparable initial improvements to PFMT in symptom scores.
- PRP provided consistently larger within-group improvements across all scales compared to PFMT.
- Quality of life scores improved more significantly with PRP treatment over time.

## Abstract

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is one of the most common pelvic floor disorders in women, often impairing quality of life (QoL). Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the standard conservative therapy, while autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a newer minimally invasive regenerative option. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of three periurethral PRP injections versus PFMT in women with SUI. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 169 women diagnosed with SUI, divided into a PRP group (n = 131), receiving three periurethral PRP injections at 4–6-month intervals, and a PFMT group (n = 38), completing a 12-week PFMT program. Outcomes were measured using the Stamey incontinence scale, visual analogue scale (VAS), and the King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ). Results: At baseline, PRP patients had more severe symptoms and worse QoL scores. After one injection, PRP achieved improvements in Stamey and VAS scores comparable to PFMT (lower scores), though KHQ remained superior in PFMT (significantly higher baseline scores in the PRP group than the PFMT group). The PRP group showed consistently larger within-group improvements across all scales (p < 0.001), in contrast to the PFMT group, which produced smaller and less consistent changes. Conclusions: Repeated PRP treatment provides greater, controlled, and more consistent benefits than PFMT for SUI.