Medical Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma
- PRP has mixed evidence for its benefit in certain conditions.
- It has been investigated for chronic tendinitis, osteoarthritis, oral surgery, and plastic surgery.
- PRP is used in sports medicine and orthopedics for acute muscle strains, tendinopathy, muscle-fascial injuries, and osteoarthritis.
- It is also used in dermatology for androgenic alopecia, wound healing, and skin rejuvenation.
- PRP has been utilized in proctology for fistula-in-ano.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in Elbow Tendinitis
- A 2022 study found that PRP injections lowered pain scores and increased elbow function significantly compared to physical therapy.
- Another 2022 study showed that PRP was effective for elbow tendinopathy, and the concentration of platelets and healing factors correlated with treatment success.
- A 2022 meta-analysis of 26 studies found that PRP-treated patients rated their results significantly better using validated patient-rated outcome measures.
- A 2021 systematic review concluded that it was uncertain if PRP improved elbow tendon healing.
- A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis found that PRP was beneficial for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in Rotator Cuff Disease
- A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis showed improved patient-rated outcomes in patients with partial rotator cuff tears.
- A 2021 prospective study found positive results in a majority of patients at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after receiving PRP injections for partial thickness rotator cuff tears.
- A 2021 meta-analysis found that PRP was effective for partial rotator cuff tears, but the effects were no longer evident at 1 year.
- PRP has been shown to be superior to cortisone injections in several studies, especially in the longer term.
- However, a 2019 review found that PRP was not useful in rotator cuff disease.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in Osteoarthritis
- Tentative evidence supports the use of PRP in osteoarthritis of the knee.
- A 2019 meta-analysis found that PRP might be more effective in reducing pain and improving function than hyaluronic acid in knee osteoarthritis.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in Hair Loss
- PRP is beneficial for alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia and can be used as an alternative to minoxidil or finasteride.
- It improves hair density and thickness in both genders.
- A minimum of 3 treatments, once a month for 3 months, is recommended, followed by maintenance appointments.
- Efficacy is determined by factors such as the number of sessions, centrifugation method, age, gender, and site of PRP injection.
- Larger randomized controlled trials and standardized procedures are recommended for stronger consensus and development.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as autologous conditioned plasma, is a concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood, centrifuged to remove red blood cells. Though promoted to treat an array of medical problems, evidence for benefit is mixed as of 2020, with some evidence for use in certain conditions and against use in other conditions.
| Platelet-rich plasma | |
|---|---|
 Platelet-rich plasma injection into the hand | |
| MeSH | D053657 |
As a concentrated source of blood plasma and autologous conditioned plasma, PRP contains several different growth factors and other cytokines that can stimulate healing of soft tissue and joints. There are some indications for use in sports medicine and orthopedics (acute muscle strains, tendinopathy and muscle-fascial injuries and osteoarthritis), or dermatology (androgenic alopecia, wound healing, and skin rejuvenation) or even in proctology (fistula-in-ano). For preparation of PRP, various protocols are used, with an underlying principle of concentrating platelets to 3–5 times physiological levels, then injecting this concentrate in the tissue where healing is desired. Besides the use in clinical practice PRP has been utilized for various tissue engineering applications in the context of bone, cartilage, skin, and soft tissue repair. It has been reviewed to serve as a source for the "delivery of growth factors and/or cells within tissue-engineered constructs, often in combination with biomaterials".
