Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as autologous conditioned plasma, is a concentrate of
platelet-rich
plasma protein derived from whole
blood,
centrifuged to remove
red blood cells. Though promoted to treat an array of medical problems, evidence for benefit is mixed as of 2020, with some evidence for use in certain conditions and against use in other conditions.[1][2][3]
As a concentrated source of
blood plasma and
autologous conditioned plasma, PRP contains several different
growth factors and other
cytokines that can stimulate healing of
soft tissue and joints. There are some indications for use in sports medicine and orthopedics (acute
muscle strains,
tendinopathy and muscle-
fascial injuries and
osteoarthritis[4]), or dermatology (
androgenic alopecia,
wound healing, and skin rejuvenation) or even in
proctology (
fistula-in-ano[5]).[6] For preparation of PRP, various protocols are used, with an underlying principle of concentrating platelets to 3–5 times physiological levels, then injecting this concentrate in the tissue where healing is desired.[7] Besides the use in clinical practice PRP has been utilized for various tissue engineering applications in the context of bone, cartilage, skin, and soft tissue repair. It has been reviewed to serve as a source for the "delivery of growth factors and/or cells within tissue-engineered constructs, often in combination with biomaterials".[8]
A 2022 study from the Journal of Clinical Medicine compared PRP injections to physical therapy. They found that PRP lowered pain scores and increased elbow function significantly.[15] A 2022 study examined the effectiveness of PRP for elbow tendinopathy. They found that PRP was effective and that the concentration of the platelets and healing factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) were correlated with success of treatment.[16]
A 2022 meta-analysis examined 26 studies on PRP for elbow tendinopathy. They found that PRP treated patients rated their results significantly better using validated patient rated outcomes measures.[17] A 2021 systematic review by the Cochrane Library examined PRP and autologous whole blood injections and concluded that it was "uncertain" if PRP or autologous whole blood injections improved elbow tendon healing.[18]
A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis of high quality studies found that PRP was beneficial for treatment of lateral epicondylitis.[19]
Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found that for elbow tendinopathy, PRP is superior to cortisone injections.[20][21][22][23][24] It has been shown to have similar[25] or equal[26][27] effects compared to surgery.
Rotator cuff disease
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis showed improved patient rated outcomes in patients with partial rotator cuff tears. At 8 weeks post injection, they found PRP to be effective.[28] A 2021 prospective study examined the effectiveness of PRP for partial thickness rotator cuff tears. Patients were given 2 separate PRP injections and followed for 2 years. The study noted: “No adverse events were seen in any patient. Based on global rating scores positive results were seen in 77.9 % of patients at 6 months, 71.6 % at 1 year, and 68.8 % of patients at 2 years”. They found PRP most effective in more damaged tendons.[29] A 2021 meta-analysis found that PRP was effective for partial rotator cuff tears but the effects were no longer evident at 1 year.[30]
PRP has been shown to be superior to cortisone injections in several studies.[31] This is especially evident in the longer term.[32][33]
A 2019 review found it not to be useful in
rotator cuff disease.[3] A 2019 meta-analysis found that, for most outcomes in Achilles tendinopathy, PRP treatment did not differ from placebo treatment.[34] A 2018 review found that it may be useful.[19] A 2009 review found few randomized controlled trials that adequately evaluated the safety and efficacy of PRP treatments and concluded that PRP was "a promising, but not proven, treatment option for joint, tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries".[35]
Osteoarthritis
Tentative evidence supports the use of PRP in
osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.[36][37] A 2019 meta-analysis found that PRP might be more effective in reducing pain and improving function than
hyaluronic acid in knee OA.[38]
A 2014 Cochrane review of musculoskeletal injuries found very weak evidence for a decrease in pain in the short term, and no difference in function in the short, medium or long term. It has not been shown to be useful for bone healing.[39] A 2016 review of bone graft augmentation found only one study reporting a difference in bone augmentation, while four studies found no difference.[40] As compared to other conservative treatments for non-surgical orthopedic illnesses (e.g. steroid injection for
plantar fasciitis), evidence does not support the use of PRP as a conservative treatment.[41] A 2018 review found that evidence was lacking for
Achilles tendinopathy.[42] A 2019 study conducted an umbrella review that "considered studies that included populations with differing levels of physical activity, including studies on the sporting population (professional and/or recreational athletes) and studies didn't explicitly mention involving a sporting population." This inquiry showed that there is poor quality evidence that PRP offers any clinical benefits for treatment in acute muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries in any population.[43]
Hair loss
Studies have found that PRP is beneficial for
alopecia areata[44] and
androgenetic alopecia and can be used as an alternative to
minoxidil or
finasteride.[45] It has been documented to improve hair density and thickness in both genders.[46] A minimum of 3 treatments, once a month for 3 months are recommended, and afterwards a 3-6 month period of continual appointments for maintenance.[47] Factors that determine efficacy include amount of sessions, double versus single centrifugation, age and gender, and where the PRP is inserted.[48]
Larger randomized controlled trials and other high quality studies are recommended to strengthen consensus.[49][46][50][51] Further development of a standardized practice for procedure is also recommended.[44]
Assisted reproduction
PRP obtained from the patient herself can be inoculated into the
uterine cavity, since the growth factors it contains could improve endometrial receptivity in cases of refractory
endometrium. Different studies have shown that intrauterine inoculation of PRP before embryo transfer can help these women obtain a thicker endometrium and improve their reproductive prognosis.[52] PRP has also been studied for the management of
Asherman's Syndrome.[53]
PRP can also be inoculated into the
ovary, with the aim of promoting ovarian tissue regeneration. However, this technique is at a more experimental stage.
The main applications of PRP in the ovary would be in cases of diminished
ovarian reserve or
premature ovarian failure. Thus, the ovarian injection of PRP is intended to improve the ovarian function of these patients.[54]
PRP is beneficial when used as intraovarian injections for women with decreased fertility. When PRP is used for fertility trouble, it has been proven to increase AFC
Venous ulcers
Venous ulcers are ankle or lower leg wounds that become open and remain that way for weeks to months.[55] A 2024 meta-analysis provided evidence that PRP has a positive effect on the size of ulcers as well as complete healing time for venous ulcers compared to the time with standard treatments. Combining PRP with conventional venous ulcer treatments has shown improved quality of life and healing time. When addressing concerns for this use of PRP, The author said "In terms of safety, the recurrence rate in the PRP group was significantly lower than that in the control group, while the rates of infection and irritative dermatitis showed no significant difference from the control group." PRP is both a safe and effective method for the treatment of venous ulcers.[56]
Diabetic foot ulcers
A 2024 meta-analysis showed that the growth factors present in aPRP are vital in the healing of DFU patients specifically the closure of the ulcers. Maria states that “these treatments significantly increase the ulcer healing rate compared to existing conventional treatments.” When using aPRP, DFU patients can expect their ulcer to close better than compared to how they would close with standard treatments.[57]
Adverse effects
Adverse effects have been rarely reported to be low in most trials. A 2017 systematic review of the literature did not report of the types and number of adverse events.[58] Health Canada states PRP treatments harvested from, and given back to, the same person (in a single procedure) was not covered by its initial guidance as the procedure falls under health care provider regulatory bodies (rather than Health Canada).[59] There was weak evidence that suggested that harm occurred at comparable, low rates in treated and untreated people.[60][18] Similarly, another 2017 review for treating pain on skin graft donor sites found the evidence for benefit was poor.[61]
Composition
There are three general categories of preparation of PRP based on its
leukocyte and
fibrin content: leukocyte-rich PRP (L-PRP), leukocyte reduced PRP (P-PRP; leukocyte reduced or pure PRP), leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin.[7][62]
The efficacy of certain growth factors in healing various injuries and the concentrations of these growth factors found within PRP are the theoretical basis for the use of PRP in tissue repair.[63] Though not required for the process, The platelets collected in PRP can be activated by the addition of
thrombin or
calcium chloride, which induces the release of the mentioned factors from
alpha granules. The addition of Thrombin or Calcium Chloride is not required as the bodies natural thrombin will activate the cells upon injection. The growth factors and other cytokines present in PRP include:[63][64][65][66]
PRP is prepared by taking blood from the person, and then putting it through
centrifugation designed to separate PRP from
platelet-poor plasma and
red blood cells. This is usually done by the clinic offering the treatment, using commercially available kits and equipment.[67] The resulting substance varies from person to person and from facility to facility, making it difficult to understand how safe and effective any specific use is.[67][68]
Blood drawn from patient
Removal of PRP after double centrifugation
PRP is Injected into area of injury via ultrasound guidance
Society and culture
PRP has received attention in the popular media[69][70][71] as a result of its use by athletes.[72] Use in an office setting is not approved by the FDA.[73]
In the 2010s, contentious cosmetic procedures marketed under the name of "vampire facials" grew in popularity, fueled by celebrity endorsement. These "vampire facials" generally center on PRP treatment, and usually (but not always) involve
microneedling.[74][75]
In April 2024, the CDC announced that three women who had been patients at the Albuquerque, New Mexico, VIP Spa had been diagnosed with HIV after getting "vampire facials" there. Another almost 200 former clients and their sexual partners were also tested but were found to not have HIV. No mention was made of any testing for other possible blood-borne infections.[76]
PRP has also been injected into the
vagina, in a procedure called "O-shot[77]" or "orgasm shot", with claims that this will improve
orgasms.[78] There is no evidence, however, to support these claims.[78][79]
Doping
Some concern exists as to whether PRP treatments violate anti-
doping rules.[63] As of 2010, it was not clear if local injections of PRP could have a systemic impact on circulating
cytokine levels, affecting doping tests and whether PRP treatments have systemic anabolic effects or affect performance.[63] In January 2011, the
World Anti-Doping Agency removed intramuscular injections of PRP from its prohibitions after determining that there is a "lack of any current evidence concerning the use of these methods for purposes of performance enhancement".[80]
History
In the early 1940s clinicians used extracts of growth factors and cytokines for healing. The term 'platet-rich plasma' was first used in 1954 by Kingsley and in the 1960s the first PRP blood banks were established, becoming popular by the 1970s.[81] In the 1970s PRP was used in the field of hematology, originally for transfusions to treat
thrombocytopenia. Ten years later it was used for maxillofacial surgeries.[6] PRP was first used in Italy in 1987 in an open heart surgery procedure.[82] In 2006 PRP was starting to be considered of potential use for both
androgenic alopecia and
alopecia areata, though research remained mixed.[6]
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