The Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Sports Medicine—the International Olympic Committee Opinion

Abstract

i Acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries in sports are common and problematic for both athletes and cliniians. A significant proportion of these injuries remain diffiult to treat, and many athletes suffer from decreased perforance and long-standing pain and discomfort.1 In 2008, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published a consensus document on the importance of molecular mechanisms in connective tissue and skeletal muscle injury and healing.2 This document predicted an increase in the use of autologous growth factors, as has indeed happened following that publication. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP, also referred to as platelet rich in growth factors, platelet-rich fibrin matrix, platelet-rich fibrin, fibrin sealant, platelet concentrate) is now being widely used to treat musculoskeletal injuries in sports and draws widespread media attention, despite the absence of robust clinical studies to support its use.3 Of the few studies published on he effectiveness of PRP in clinical settings, only very few are f sufficient methodological quality that would enable evience-based decision making. On January 1, 2011, the orld Anti-Doping Agency eased the restrictions on PRP, iting that there was no evidence that the procedure enanced performance. PRP and its variant forms were originally used in clinical ractice as an adjunct to surgery to assist in the healing of arious tissues. Initially, PRP was mainly used in oral surery.4,5 Subsequently, PRP has also been used at the time of urgery, involving shoulder,6 hip,7 and knee joint procedures,8,9 including anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction,10 and it has been used to improve bone healing.11 More recently, PRP in an injectable form has been used for the