By Alice Workman 

     Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is the process in which a quantity of blood is drawn from the patient.   Then, it is spun in a special device called a Centrifuge, which will spin the blood to separate and concentrate the platelets from the other particles of the blood. Once the platelets have been concentrated, they are injected back into the injured tissue to accelerate the healing process.  This activates angiogenesis, which is a process of growth and healing fueled by the supplementation of oxygen-rich blood. To the common ear, the basics of PRP sound like a simple procedure, much like a cortisone injection or nerve block injection, which are also commonly used for orthopedic injuries.  However, PRP differs from other treatments in a major way.  PRP uses only the patient’s own body systems to accelerate the natural healing process. PRP has reduced the need for medication or procedures that risk side effects that could possibly prolong the healing process. Further, PRP has now saved athletes around the world years of pain, physical rehabilitation, and possibly protracted recovery from a more invasive surgery. In a 2021 meta- analysis study published by The National Institute of Health, of all sports related injuries, overuse injuries account for approximately 49.5%.  PRP has now changed the outlook of recovery for athletes suffering such injuries. Athletes suffering specific overuse injuries such as tendonitis, tendinosis, and tendon strains and tears could benefit tremendously from the increasing popularity of PRP.   It is presenting a practical solution without the need for weeks of rehabilitation, drugs, and rest, found to be the most common clinical recommendations offered. 

     Important considerations for PRP therapy include its lack of FDA approval. PRP is a relatively new medical procedure, and while it’s deemed safe and practical, it is still considered to be in the “investigational stage” for the long-term application. For those looking to receive PRP, the FDA has administered conditional clearance of the procedure. Because it only uses the patient’s own bodily fluids, it is not considered a “drug”.  Therefore, the application does not require FDA approval to be prescribed or administered by a physician. However, this does mean the patient is not given any anesthetics and will be awake for the entire procedure. The good news is the procedure only takes a couple minutes.  The recovery period spans from a few days to a few weeks depending on the patient’s level of activity. Furthermore, due to the procedure not being FDA approved, the procedure is not covered by insurance and usually costs between $500-$2000. Compare this price to the price of physical therapy for a tendon related injury.  The average case of mild tendinitis is typically prescribed 8 weeks of physical rehabilitation.  The prescription usually recommended is 2-3 sessions per week and will cost from $30-$400 per session. In most cases, injuries like tendinitis are chronic and have longer recovery periods than other soft tissue injuries.  This means physical rehabilitation could exceed the average 8-week prescription, costing even more money. 

       In the short time that PRP has been available, it has not only gained media popularity in the medical community, but the athletic arena as well. In the past 13 years, PRP has been endorsed and practiced by many collegiate and professional athletic physicians.  This helps minimize the time an athlete spends in the healing stage of soft tissue injuries allowing them to recover and get back into their respective sport more quickly. 

References 

Arnoczky, Steven P. DVM*; Shebani-Rad, Shahin MD, MS†. The Basic Science of Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP): What Clinicians Need to Know. Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review 21(4):p 180-185, December 2013. | DOI: 10.1097/JSA.0b013e3182999712 

Hall, Michael P. MD; Band, Phillip A. PhD; Meislin, Robert J. MD; Jazrawi, Laith M. MD; Cardone, Dennis A. DO. Platelet-rich Plasma: Current Concepts and Application in Sports Medicine. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 17(10):p 602-608, October 2009. 

Kantrowitz, D. E., Padaki, A. S., Ahmad, C. S., & Lynch, T. S. (2018). Defining platelet-rich plasma usage by team physicians in Elite Athletes. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 6(4), 232596711876707. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967118767077 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection: How it works: HSS. Hospital for Special Surgery. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://www.hss.edu/condition-list_prp-injections.asp 

Wu, Y., Zhou, L., Yang, Z., Hu, X., Yang, J., Wang, M., Wang, B., Luo, G., He, W., & Cheng, B. (2020, August 14). Platelet-rich plasma accelerates skin wound healing by promoting re-epithelialization. Burns & amp; trauma. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7427034/