Platelet-Rich Plasma

Abstract

Several injectable substances have been studied for the treatment of tendinitis of the hand, wrist, and elbow, including corticosteroids, botulinum toxin, autologous blood, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). 1 Faro F. Wolf J.M. Lateral epicondylitis: review and current concepts. J Hand Surg. 2007; 32A: 1271-1279 Google Scholar , 2 Mishra A. Pavelko T. Treatment of chronic elbow tendinosis with buffered platelet-rich plasma. Am J Sports Med. 2006; 34: 1774-1778 Crossref PubMed Scopus (628) Google Scholar , 3 Peerbooms J.C. Sluimer J. Bruijn D.J. Gosens T. Positive effect of an autologous platelet concentrate in lateral epicondylitis in a double-blind randomized controlled trial: platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injection with a 1-year follow-up. Am J Sports Med. 2010; 38: 255-262 Crossref PubMed Scopus (523) Google Scholar , 4 Szabo R.M. Steroid injection for lateral epicondylitis. J Hand Surg. 2009; 34A: 326-330 Google Scholar , 5 Creaney L. Wallace A. Curtis M. Connell D. Growth factor-based therapies provide additional benefit beyond physical therapy in resistant elbow tendinopathy: a prospective, single-blind, randomised trial of autologous blood injections versus platelet-rich plasma injections. Br J Sports Med. 2011; 45: 966-971 Crossref PubMed Scopus (212) Google Scholar , 6 Thanasas C. Papadimitriou G. Charalambidis C. Paraskevopoulos I. Papanikolaou A. Platelet-rich plasma versus autologous whole blood for the treatment of chronic lateral elbow epicondylitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Am J Sports Med. 2011; 39: 2130-2134 Crossref PubMed Scopus (262) Google Scholar , 7 Wolf J.M. Ozer K. Scott F. Gordon M.J. Williams A.E. Comparison of autologous blood, corticosteroid, and saline injection in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a prospective, randomized, controlled multicenter study. J Hand Surg. 2011; 36A: 1269-1272 Google Scholar , 8 Gosens T. Peerbooms J.C. van Laar W. den Oudsten B.L. Ongoing positive effect of platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injection in lateral epicondylitis: a double-blind randomized controlled trial with 2-year follow-up. Am J Sports Med. 2011; 39: 1200-1208 Crossref PubMed Scopus (387) Google Scholar Whereas empiric data suggest a beneficial effect of many treatments for tendinitis, defined roles for these various injections remain unclear. For several years, orthopedic surgeons have used PRP to treat conditions such as tendinitis about the knee, hip, and shoulder 9 Hall M.P. Band P.A. Meislin R.J. Jazrawi L.M. Cardone D.A. Platelet-rich plasma: current concepts and application in sports medicine. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2009; 17: 602-608 Crossref PubMed Scopus (273) Google Scholar , 10 Sampson S. Gerhardt M. Mandelbaum B. Platelet rich plasma injection grafts for musculoskeletal injuries: a review. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2008; 1: 165-174 Crossref PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar , 11 Mishra A. Harmon K. Woodall J. Vieira A. Sports medicine applications of platelet rich plasma. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2011 July 8; (Epub ahead of print) Google Scholar ; however, data are inconclusive as to its precise mechanism of action as well as whether it demonstrates lasting benefit. We review the composition and preparation of PRP and list several of the available kits for its preparation. Journal CME QuestionsJournal of Hand SurgeryVol. 37Issue 3Preview Full-Text PDF