Recruiting

APEX & Emcyte

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT07491367

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthristis

Cartilage Damage

Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma Injection

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Platelet Rich Plasma

Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System

APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System

Study Details

Brief summary:

The investigators would like to study the differences in the quality of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) between two different machines in those with knee osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis means your cartilage has been worn down, and it affects your knee joint. Both machines, the APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System and the Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System, are FDA approved, commercially available, and makes PRP. The investigators will check if the platelets in the PRP have different amounts or work differently. The investigators will also assess participants symptoms after the injection and compare the two different preparation systems.

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthristis

Cartilage Damage

Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma Injection

Study ID

NCT07491367

Start date

Sep 1, 2026

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Sep, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) Grade 1-3 knee osteoarthritis
  • Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis for at least 3 months before presentation in one knee
  • Will be able to attend and perform physical therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Received injection therapy for knee osteoarthritis in the past 6 months
  • Have severe arthritis diagnosed in ≥1 major joint by radiology criteria
  • History of septic arthritis
  • Underwent knee surgery for osteoarthritis or osteochondral defects within 1 year before randomization (e.g., autograft or allograft surgery)
  • Have had high tibial osteotomy, partial knee replacement, patellar resurfacing, total knee replacement, or have existing surgical hardware in the knee
  • Received a platelet-rich plasma injection elsewhere in the body within the past 3 months
  • Have a platelet disorder or bleeding disorder
  • Have a rheumatologic disease, autoimmune disorder, immunocompromised status, or active history of cancer
  • Are taking chemotherapy, require regular prednisone, or require regular anti-inflammatory use
  • Are pregnant, breastfeeding, or unwilling to practice birth control during the study
  • If both knees have osteoarthritis and the other knee has KL score equal to or greater than 2.
  • Have uncontrolled illness, physical disability, or other contraindication to aerobic exercise training

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System

Participants in this group will receive Platelet Rich Plasma made by the APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System.

active comparator: Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System

Participants in this group will receive Platelet Rich Plasma made by Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System.

Interventions

Platelet Rich Plasma

The Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) participants will receive in this study will be made by Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System or the APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System.

Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) will be made by the Emcyte PurePRP Supraphysiologic Concentrating System.

APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) will be made by APEX Biologix XCELL PRP System.

Primary outcome measure

  • Cellular composition and quantity using Horiba Cell counter [ Time Frame: Day 1 ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Joel Kopcow

970-590-0314joel.kopcow@ucsf.edu

Locations

University of California San Francisco

Recruiting

San Francisco, California, United States, 94158

Contacts

Joel Kopcow

970-590-0314joel.kopcow@ucsf.edu

Principal Investigator:

Anthony Luke, MD

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Last update posted

Aug 18, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, San Francisco on 2026-08-18.