Through regenerative medicine, a person can take advantage of their body’s ability to heal itself by stimulating natural healing from a concentration of platelets from their blood1. Laboratory and clinical research has shown it is possible to achieve short-term and long-term pain relief for orthopedic and soft tissue conditions1, 2. Currently, doctors are treating tendinitis, tendinopathy, and osteoarthritis in the elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle, in addition to cosmetic treatments to reinvigorate the skin1, 2, 3.
Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a concentration of platelets which is found in the blood stream with red and white blood cells4. Platelets are a natural carrier of cytokines and growth factors that can stimulate healing and repair after injury4. When platelets are activated after injury or injection, they release regenerative proteins that trigger a minimum inflammatory response in order to recruit nearby progenitor and adult cells to the pathologic tissue to nourish and aid in remodeling the site into healthy natural tissue4.
During your PRP therapy procedure, a nurse or doctor will draw a sample of blood, usually from a vein in your arm1. A trained nurse or medical assistant will sterilely transfer the blood to special equipment designed for separating the cellular components and collect the concentrated platelets; taking about 15 minutes to produce your PRP1. The PRP will be provided to the doctor in a sterile syringe to be used for treatment1.
Every patient is different, and your physician will carefully review your medical history and conditions to help determine if you’re a good candidate for a PRP procedure.
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1. Taylor D. et al. A Systematic Review of the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Sports Medicine as a New Treatment for Tendon and Ligament Injuries. *Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. 2011; *21(4): 344-352.
2. Mishra A. et al. Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Chronic Tennis Elbow A Double-Blind, Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial of 230 Patients. *The American Journal of Sports Medicine. *2013; 42(2): 463-471.
3. Kamakura T. et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma with Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor for Treatment of Wrinkles and Depressed Areas of the Skin. *Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.* 2015; 136: 931-939.
4. Foster T. et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma From Basic Science to Clinical Applications. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009; 37(11). 2259-2272.--
