Platelet-rich Plasma
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is blood plasma that has been enriched with platelets. As a concentrated source of autologous platelets, PRP contains (and releases through degranulation) several different growth factors and other cytokines that stimulate healing of bone and soft tissue.
The efficacy of certain growth factors in healing various injuries and the concentrations of these growth factors found within PRP are the theoretical basis for the use of PRP in tissue repair.
The platelets collected in PRP are activated by the addition of thrombin and calcium chloride, which induces the release of these factors from alpha granules.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a revolutionary new treatment that relieves pain by promoting long lasting healing of musculoskeletal conditions.
PRP is a rapidly emerging technique and is showing exciting potential with osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip and spine, rotator cuff tears, chronic plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, pelvic pain and instability, back and neck injuries, tennis elbow, ankle sprains, tendonitis, and ligament sprains.
Because the goal of PRP therapy is to resolve pain through healing, it could prove to have lasting results. Both ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue repair after PRP therapy, confirming the healing process.
The need for surgery can also be greatly reduced by treating injured tissues before the damage progresses and the condition is irreversible. Because the goal of PRP therapy is to resolve pain through healing, it could prove to have lasting results.
PRP is an emerging treatment in a new health sector known as “orthobiologics.” The philosophy is to merge cutting edge technology with the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
PRP has the potential to revolutionize not just sports medicine but all of orthopaedics. The PRP method centers on injecting portions of a patient’s blood directly into the injured area, which catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue.
Most enticing is that the technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could shorten rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery.
BENEFITS :
Platelet-rich plasma – PRP – can be used also to improve skin texture, lines and wrinkles. By placing it into the deeper skin layer fibroblasts and other cells can be stimulated to a more youthful function. Areas like crepey areas under eyes and in necks can show dramatic improvement. Lines like about upper lips can also improve. And the general texture and turgor of the skin will improve. treatments for lines, wrinkles, poorer skin condition and general skin reconditioning can be improved with platelet-rich plasma therapy or PRP.
1. It contains entirely natural products from a patient’s own blood.
2. There is little if any risk for injecting patient’s own blood product back into their body.
3. Traditional treatments for tendonitis do not have predictive results and have potential downfalls.
- Repeated cortisone injections into the tissue can destroy and weaken that tissue
- Cortisone injections into tendons of the lower extremity can lead to rupture of those tendons
- Long term anti-inflammatory pills only treat the symptoms of the disease and in doing so prevent the necessary immobilization to promote healing. They also may cause gastrointestinal and renal problems.
d. While when indicated the surgical management is successful, the morbidity associated with surgery during the healing phase may be prohibitive in certain individuals, or the disease state may not be advanced enough to guarantee great improvement in function and treatment success.
PRP treatment works best for chronic ligament and tendon sprains/strains that have failed other conservative treatment, including:
- Shoulder pain and instability
- Tennis & golfer’s elbow
- Hamstring and hip strains
- Knee sprains and instability
- Patellofemoral syndrome and patellar tendinosis
- Ankle sprains
- Achilles tendinosis & plantar fasciitis
- Knee, hip, and other joint osteoarthritis
- Sports hernias & athletic pubalgia
- Other chronic tendon and ligament problems
In addition, PRP can be very helpful for many cases of osteoarthritis (the “wear & tear” kind). PRP can help stimulate a “smoothing over” of the roughened and arthritic cartilage, reducing the pain and disability of arthritis.