Page 26 - Regenerative Medicine - Patient Guide

PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP)

Often misrepresented as stem cell therapy,
PRP is created by drawing venous blood from
a patient with an anticoagulant, injecting it in a
special tube and placing the tube in a centrifuge.
The high speed of the centrifuge separates the
platelets (Figure 9) from the red blood cells.
The product is then re-coagulated with
thrombin and sometimes mixed with calcium
chloride to induce the release of growth
factors. The PRP is then ready to be used as
an autologous tissue injection or introduced
to a surgical site.

Platelets are normally known for their
responsibility to clot blood, but they also
contain proteins known as growth factors that
play a vital role in healing injuries. Since the
location of most sports injuries does not
receive an abundant flow of blood, the injuries
are deprived of the platelets and growth factors
needed to regenerate damaged tissue. Studies
show that PRP treatment can resolve that
problem by delivering the injured part of the
body with the platelets necessary to support
healing.

While not as "potent" as other therapies,
PRP does contain growth factors and other
cytokines that are said to recruit cells to an area
of injury to coordinate a repair response.
Additionally, PRP activates tenocytes to
proliferate quickly and produce collagen to
repair tissue.

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