Prp San Siego is a popular treatment for musculoskeletal injuries. It can be injected into the damaged tissue to help it heal.
However, research results have been mixed. Three recent studies published in JAMA found that PRP did not improve symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, Achilles tendinitis, or shoulder arthritis.
The reason for the mixed results is that different PRP preparations can have different concentrations of platelets and GFs. Therefore, the ideal concentration has yet to be determined.
What is PRP?
Platelet-rich plasma is blood that contains a high concentration of platelets. The procedure is performed by drawing a small sample of your blood and then running it through a centrifuge, which spins at a very high speed to separate out the plasma and increase its concentration.
When injected, the plasma and platelets work together to stimulate tissue healing. The exact mechanism is not well understood, but PRP injections appear to speed up the healing process by increasing the number of growth factors at the site of the injury.
PRP has been shown to stimulate the proliferation of tenocytes, which are cells that produce collagen to repair damaged tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It also increases the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promotes neovascularization, or new blood vessels, and fibroblast growth factor 2, which encourages new tissue to form.
The doctor then takes the plasma and injects it into the injured area. The procedure usually only takes about an hour. The doctor may use imaging techniques, such as ultrasound, to pinpoint the area for the injection. You should avoid putting pressure on the affected area until it heals, and the doctor may advise you to use crutches or a brace.
Although it is not yet clear how PRP works, laboratory studies suggest that the increased number of growth factors in the plasma can stimulate healing and reduce pain. The treatment is widely used by orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, and physiatrists to treat various musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.
Because the therapy is derived from your own blood, there is little risk of rejection or reaction. Side effects are typically limited to a little pain, bruising, and swelling after the procedure.
Although it is not approved by the FDA for most uses, many doctors use the treatment as a non-surgical alternative to surgery to manage hip pain and injuries. They often recommend it after patients have exhausted conservative treatments, such as physical therapy and medications. The technique is also commonly used by professional athletes. It is thought to help them heal quickly and return to competition sooner.
How is PRP Prepared?
A medical professional will draw a small amount of blood from a patient, seal it in a tube and run it through a machine called a centrifuge. This device spins the blood sample at a very high speed and separates the different parts of the blood, including the platelets. The platelets are concentrated to anywhere between 2 to 8 times their normal amount. They are then mixed into a blood plasma liquid base and injected into the injured area.
PRP is a promising treatment for various conditions because of the high concentration of growth factors in its blood plasma base. However, many studies on its effectiveness are limited due to the complicated rules governing new drug approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a result, despite numerous reports of positive outcomes, it is not clear what exactly makes PRP so effective.
One of the main variables that influence the yield of PRP is the method and time of its preparation. Currently, there are a variety of commercial kits available to facilitate the production of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with various levels of quality and consistency. However, these kits have their disadvantages in terms of cost and the fact that they are not fully standardized.
The aim of this study was to develop a standardized PRP preparation protocol that maximizes the concentration and recovery of the platelets without disturbing their integrity or viability. A double spin protocol was used, which was analyzed in terms of its effect on the different variables that affect the production of PRP: the volume of blood processed, the number of spins and the centrifugal acceleration. The results demonstrated that this preparation method achieves a high concentration of platelets with low contamination from WBCs and a good level of integrity.
In addition, this PRP preparation technique is able to delay the coagulation of the platelets inside the syringe in protocols where PRP is directly injected into the injury site immediately after its separation from the leukocytes. This result is important since it reduces the risk of hemorrhage and allows a quicker and safer injection.
What is the Recovery Time for PRP Injections?
There is a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions that PRP can treat. The procedure is typically used in combination with a regimen of physical therapy. Most treatments involve a series of injections, spaced two or three weeks apart. PRP is used to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes, and bring healing cells to areas that normally don’t receive much blood flow. This can be the tendons, joints or ligaments in the shoulder, hip or knee.
Most patients can return to normal activities within a few days after the injections, depending on the procedure and the area treated. However, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions and avoid excessive activity or direct sun exposure for the recommended amount of time. You may also be instructed to apply ice packs or take over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).
PRP therapy is very safe and has few side effects. The most common symptoms after an injection are mild pain, stiffness or swelling in the treatment area. However, these symptoms are a result of the inflammatory response that triggers the PRP therapy and are usually quite brief.
It is important to avoid taking NSAIDs or Aspirin for at least ten days prior to your treatment, as these drugs interfere with platelet function. Similarly, some herbal supplements and medications can interfere with the results of PRP treatment, so you should always consult your doctor about what to avoid before your appointment.
When your doctor injects PRP into the affected area, they will use imaging guidance to ensure that the treatment is delivered precisely where it is needed. This could be via ultrasound, x-ray or another imaging technology.
PRP therapy can be used in combination with arthroscopic surgery to help speed up the recovery process and alleviate any pain or discomfort that may be experienced after your procedure. It is also often used to treat chronically painful shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears, and can be helpful if your shoulder injury hasn’t healed as quickly as you and your orthopaedic surgeon hoped. However, it is not a complete solution for shoulder issues, and your orthopaedic surgeon will recommend more drastic treatment options if necessary.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Treated by PRP Injections?
The platelets in your blood are a key part of how the body responds to injuries. When damaged blood vessels or muscles send out signals, the platelets come to the rescue by creating blockages to stem bleeding and then stimulate other cells to heal the tissue that has been injured. Orthopedic treatments that use platelets in this way are most effective for injuries involving ligaments and tendons.
A common example is lateral epicondylitis, better known as tennis elbow. This is a condition that results from overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons. When this happens, a small tear can occur in the tendon and lead to pain and inflammation on the outside of the elbow. PRP injections have been shown to activate healing in this chronic injury, so patients can return to their normal activities sooner.
PRP injections can also be used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. This is a condition where the cartilage that lines the joint begins to deteriorate, causing painful bone-on-bone contact during movement. The use of PRP in this setting has not been well-studied, but early research suggests that it may be useful in slowing the progression of the disease.
PRP is injected into the area of injury under ultrasound guidance to ensure that it reaches the injured tissues. This allows for a more precise treatment than was possible in the past, when doctors would inject into the affected tissue without imaging guidance.
This technique is also sometimes combined with dryneedling, which helps to create more channels through which the PRP can be absorbed into the tissues and accelerate the healing process. Patients who are considering this procedure should avoid taking any anti-inflammatory medications for two weeks before their treatment.
Because this is a relatively new technique, many insurance companies still consider it experimental. However, as more scientific studies conclude that this treatment does help, it will become more widely covered by insurance providers. Patients who are interested in learning more about the benefits of PRP injections should contact an orthopedic doctor to see if they are a good candidate for this treatment.