Follow on Google News News By Tag Industry News News By Place Country(s) Industry News
Follow on Google News | Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Has Wide Variety of Medical UsesThe use of platelet-rich plasma in sports medicine is growing beyond that boundary.
By: Florida Spine Center Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an excellent example of a regenerative product that has been utilized for an extended period of time and its history can be easily traced back to the 1970s in various clinical treatments. However, it is the notoriety in a variety of high-profile athletes that has lead to PRPs increased popularity and recognition. Dr. Timothy E. Foster, et al. in the American Journal of Sports Medicine 2009 described a February 2009 article in the New York Times that raised the public awareness of PRP by detailing the use of PRP in treating an injured Pittsburgh Steelers football player before the 2009 Super Bowl. The authors stated that there are numerous basic science studies, animal studies, and small case reports regarding PRP related products, yet there are only a few controlled clinical studies that provide a high level of medical evidence regarding the potential benefits of PRP. During platelet-rich plasma therapy, the blood is centrifuged to separate the red blood cells and white blood cells from the platelets, and then the platelets can then be delivered to a target site for treatment. Platelets are one of a variety of cells that are found in blood. Platelets are small non nucleated bodies in peripheral blood that were initially thought to be primarily responsible for clotting blood, and have only more recently gained interest for their role in the healing process. The platelets contain various proteins, cytokines and other factors that regulate basic wound healing. When the platelets are concentrated in platelet-rich plasma, there is a 3- to 5-fold increase in the number of platelets resulting in an increased growth factor concentration. Normal platelet counts in blood vary from 150,000 per microliter to 350,000 per microliter and when it is concentrated, levels exceeding 1 million platelets per microliter in 5 mL of plasma is felt to be effective in the enhancement of healing. Typically, in platelet-rich plasma treatment, there is variability in the amount of PRP product that practitioners utilize when re-injecting into a target site, depending upon various factors. It is the various growth factors and cytokines in the platelets that are responsible for the healing and regenerative effects. Dr. Timothy E. Foster, et al. elaborated on the various types of growth factors, of which there are many that are responsible for different functions during the healing process. The authors also stated that these growth factors and cytokines play important roles in the proliferation of cells, chemotaxis (cell attraction) and the differentiation of various cells, as well as angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels). They commented that exogenous cytokines such as bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) are produced by recombinant technology and are delivered in high doses using a carrier vehicle. Platelet rich plasma has been used in various animal studies, oral maxillofacial surgery, ENT surgery, plastic surgery and general surgery in various applications. In musculoskeletal injuries, PRP has been utilized in disorders of the tendons of the elbow (both golfers and tennis elbow), Achilles tendon injuries, plantar fasciitis, disorders of the knee (including patellar tendinopathy) Dr. Dennis Lox, a physical medicine and regenerative medicine specialist in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, comments that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has indeed a variety of clinical applications, not only in musculoskeletal medicine, but it has a lengthy history in the dental and veterinary field. “There are reports of high profile and elite athletes in various sporting arenas that have turned to platelet rich plasma as a means of accelerated wound healing and tissue repair,” said Dr. Lox. “In the field of regenerative medicine, the use of PRP, growth factors, and stem cells are all being utilized more frequently as regenerative medicine expands.” Dr. Lox states that there are small quantities of stem cells in PRP, however, this is not considered to be a stem cell rich treatment mechanism. It is the ability of the PRP to recruit cells by chemotaxis through the use of growth factors that accelerates the healing response. “As the future of regenerative medicine continues to evolve,” Dr. Lox notes, “there will be increasing interest in PRP, growth factors and stem cell technology for a variety of medical applications.” The use of platelet-rich plasma is currently being evaluated in multiple clinical trials. Its use in sports medicine was recently commented on by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which decided that platelet-rich plasma, as of 2009, would be prohibited from intramuscular administration. Its future use in sporting events remains to be seen, and Olympic and international anti-doping governing bodies do not have jurisdiction over professional sports leagues in the United States. Here, PRP use is currently not specifically addressed in professional sports. There is currently no evidence suggesting that platelet-rich plasma has any overall systemic or body-wide effect that would enhance athletic performance. As more studies are brought to light evaluating the effectiveness of PRP, there are studies suggesting that PRP does repair the injured areas, which has been anecdotally reported. More clinical trials in the future are needed in order to help delineate this particular controversy. http://www.DrLox.com # # # Dennis M. Lox, M.D. is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Since 1990, he has used sports medicine techiques and cutting-edge technology to help heal musculoskeletal injuries and relieve pain. End
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Account Phone Number