Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Applications

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a regenerative therapy that has gained popularity in musculoskeletal medicine for its potential symptomatic relief, joint protection properties and in some cases its potential to augment the repair of tissues with low healing ability. It is a preparation of autologous blood enriched with a platelet concentrations above that which is normally contained in whole blood. The concentrated platelet rich plasma is rich in growth factors that play a role in reducing inflammation, blood vessels formation, tissue regeneration, and cartilage proliferation.

Muscle Injuries

Recent studies report that the use of platelet-rich plasma may result in an earlier return to sports among patients with acute low and medium grade muscle strains without significantly increasing the risk of reinjury at six months of follow-up.

Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is a common painful disability that impairs quality of life. Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma injections significantly improved pain, stiffness and physical function. Numerous randomized trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated that patients undergoing treatment for knee OA with PRP experienced improved clinical outcomes when compared to injections of hyaluronic acid (Viscosupplementation), cortisone, or placebo. PRP remains the gold standard for the treatment of pain associated with knee osteoarthritis.

Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip osteoarthritis is a common painful, disabling condition that impairs quality of life. Intra-articular injections of Platelet-rich plasma have been shown in some studies to offer a significant clinical improvement for patients with hip osteoarthritis without significant side effects. Studies report that PRP injections alone and in combination with hyaluronic acid provide improvements in pain and function in hip osteoarthritis. At three months and six months after injection, PRP injections demonstrated the best effect on pain reduction. Pain reduction and outcome improvement of PRP injections in hip OA continues for 12 months after injections.

At Hyper Regen Sports Medicine we offer platelet rich plasma injection therapy to speed healing. Contact us to schedule a consultation to learn more.

References

• Dwyer T, Chahal J. Editorial Commentary: Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: Doc, You Gotta Help Me! Arthroscopy. 2021 Apr;37(4):1288-1289. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2020.12.228. PMID: 33812528.
• Sheth U, Dwyer T, Smith I, Wasserstein D, Theodoropoulos J, Takhar S, Chahal J. Does Platelet-Rich Plasma Lead to Earlier Return to Sport When Compared With Conservative Treatment in Acute Muscle Injuries? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Arthroscopy. 2018 Jan;34(1):281-288.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2017.06.039. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28800920.
• Dong Y, Zhang B, Yang Q, Zhu J, Sun X. The effects of platelet-rich plasma injection in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Jan;40(1):263-277. doi: 10.1007/s10067-020-05185-2. Epub 2020 Jun 12. PMID: 32533337.
• Belk JW, Kraeutler MJ, Houck DA, Goodrich JA, Dragoo JL, McCarty EC. Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Hyaluronic Acid for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Sports Med. 2021 Jan;49(1):249-260. doi: 10.1177/0363546520909397. Epub 2020 Apr 17. PMID: 32302218.
• Nouri F, Babaee M, Peydayesh P, Esmaily H, Raeissadat SA. Comparison between the effects of ultrasound guided intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, and their combination in hip osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Sep 12;23(1):856. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05787-8. PMID: 36096771; PMCID: PMC9464606.