PRP activates Circulating Cells

The article referenced below discusses how locally injected PRP can mobilize cells to help heal a tendon. This provides solid mechanistic evidence to use PRP for tendon injuries and disorders and helps explain the positive clinical results. It is an excellent study and the authors have contributed significantly to our understanding of how PRP works.

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Platelet-rich plasma enhances the initial mobilization of circulation-derived cells for tendon healing.

Kajikawa Y, Morihara T, Sakamoto H, Matsuda KI, Oshima Y, Yoshida A, Nagae M, Arai Y, Kawata M, Kubo T.

J. Cell Physiology Jan. 2008

Circulation-derived cells play a crucial role in the healing processes of tissue. In early phases of tendon healing processes, circulation-derived cells temporarily exist in the wounded area to initiate the healing process and decrease in number with time. We assumed that a delay of time-dependent decrease in circulation-derived cells could improve the healing of tendons. In this study, we injected platelet-rich plasma (PRP) containing various kinds of growth factors into the wounded area of the patellar tendon, and compared the effects on activation of circulation-derived cells and enhancement of tendon healing with a control group (no PRP injection). To follow the circulation-derived cells, we used a green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimeric rat expressing GFP in the circulating cells and bone marrow cells. In the PRP group, the numbers of GFP-positive cells and heat-shock protein (HSP47; collagen-specific molecular chaperone)-positive cells were significantly higher than in the control group at 3 and 7 days after injury. At the same time, the immunoreactivity for types I and III collagen was higher in the PRP group than in the control group at early phase of tendon healing. These findings suggest that locally injected PRP is useful as an activator of circulation-derived cells for enhancement of the initial tendon healing process. J. Cell. Physiol. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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PRP Improves Wound Healing

Platelet rich plasma in a paper published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery (Hom et al May/June 2007) has been shown to improve closure rates of skin wounds. Specifically, at day 17 after a skin punch wound, 81% of PRP treated wounds were closed versus 57% of controls. The closure velocities were also faster. (p = 0.001).

This is clear evidence that PRP enhances wound healing. In orthopedics and a variety of other specialties, PRP should be strongly considered when doing procedures that have a potentially high wound complication rate such as achilles tendon repair.

The rate of platelet rich plasma publications has also risen dramatically. This indicates more interest in PRP and now more evidence to support its use.

For more information about PRP please visit: ApexPRP.com