Editorial Commentary: Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Lateral Epicondylitis Are Safe and Effective: Transient Postinjection Pain Is a Side Effect, Not a Complication.

Over the past 2 decades, platelet-rich plasma injections have emerged as a widely utilized treatment of lateral epicondylitis, supported by a substantial body of high-level evidence showing durable clinical benefit. As adoption has expanded, scrutiny has appropriately shifted toward safety and complication profiles. Recent systematic review data confirm what many clinicians already observe in practice: platelet-rich plasma injections are safe, with complication rates comparable to corticosteroid and saline injections. Transient postinjection pain is the most commonly reported adverse event, but it is self-limited and resolves without consequence. This discomfort should be understood as an expected physiological response rather than a true complication. Clear patient counseling is essential but concerns regarding safety should not deter the use of platelet-rich plasma in appropriately selected patients.