Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are now an option amongst the vast specialties in Saint Alphonsus Hospital Sports Medicine department. PRP facilitates healing and recovery time of treatment to injury of the musculoskeletal system, and is more efficient and less risky than previous surgical methods. According to Hospital for Special Surgery, the treatment is fairly simple: blood is drawn from the patient, sent to a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and injected to the injury site. This is usually an outpatient procedure and the patient can begin rehabilitation therapy after a brief period of rest. Healing can begin quickly, often as soon as ten days, as the body works on rebuilding itself.
PRP treatments are currently being utilized in a wide range of treatment programs for both acute and chronic injuries. The treatments have been found to be especially effective in the treatment of acute and chronic tendon problems such as Achilles tendon injuries, gastrocnemius (calf) muscle injuries, and lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). In addition, doctors have begun effectively using PRP injections in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
The muscular system like the eleven other systems that comprise the human body work with each other in a series of checks and balances (or simultaneous bio-feedback reactions) to maintain an equilibrium, a healthy body. The muscular system is the reason the body can move freely, support, and protect itself. This system is comprised of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints and connective tissue that support and bind organs together. An injury that compromises any part of this system, if sustained, may lead to further injuries and disease, not necessarily included in the muscular system.
The United States Bone and Joint Initiative states:
“Movement, for nearly one in two Americans over the age of 18, and many children, is restricted by a musculoskeletal disorder — arthritis, back pain, fracture, osteoporosis, sports trauma, and other ailments which affect function and mobility.”
Furthermore, nearly three out of four people over the age of 65 suffer from musculoskeletal diseases and their related symptoms. Diseases of this kind surpass circulatory diseases and respiratory diseases which affect about one out of three individuals. A study in 2012 found that musculoskeletal conditions are the second greatest cause of disability, affecting more than 1.7 billion people worldwide *(Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States, BMUS).
As musculoskeletal issues gain attention, it is equally important to acknowledge the medical developments and treatment options that presently exist and those currently emerging. A sample of such a surgery is described below as a point of contrast that illuminates the positive benefits of PRP.
Presently the range of treatment plans for musculoskeletal issues span the spectrum; from getting extra rest, using cold compresses and anti-inflammatory drugs, to surgical treatments like marrow stimulation and **Autologous Chrondrocyte Implantation. (A multi-step procedure that extracts a few cartilage cells from the patient, turning those cells into a few million via a two-week incubation period, placing the resulting cells onto a collagen patch, and finally, suturing or gluing the patch over the damaged area).
The surgical treatment methods described above (as well as a majority not listed) have existed for years. However, upon brief research of musculoskeletal surgeries, one will find that many are associated with possible setbacks. For example, some do not have established evidence of their effectiveness, are scarcely performed (which increases the cost), carry risks of additional damage, and/or are not proven to withstand time resulting in additional surgery.
With PRP injections the risk of infection and further injury is considerably lower since the treatment is derived from the patient’s own blood. Opposed to a costly uncertain surgery, or the time spent searching for a hospital and/or waiting for cells to multiply, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections offer peace of mind, and almost instantaneous treatment.
*BMUS is produced by the United States Bone and Joint Initiative
**Autologous Chrondrocyte Implantation (ACI)
