Regenerative therapy

One of the more exciting aspects of medicine these days is the potential use of regenerative therapies for various chronic aliments.  In the world of sports medicine and arthritis an emerging concept is the use of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to treat ones chronic or acute musculoskeletal injuries by injecting ones own blood into a damaged joint, tendon, or ligament in order to speed up the body's normal healing process. Athletes around the world have received this treatment, and there are now studies showing it's utility in chronic tendinitis. While still a relatively new treatment modality, this is a exciting new therapy for damaged joints, tendons, and ligaments.

Athletes with various different types of tendinitis are good candidates for PRP.  Pain affecting the shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles, or feet that has not responded to other treatments can be healed with PRP. Returning to activity can also be quickened with PRP treatments. Arthritis affecting various joints can also be treated.

Keys to treatment with PRP include targeting and delivering the treatment at the exact right spot using ultrasound guidance.

Tennis Elbow- American Journal of Sports Medicine

Platelet Rich Plasma- New York Times

Platelet Rich Plasma- CBS News

Tennis Elbow- Tennis.com

Rotator Cuff tear- Coastal Courier

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

What is PRP?

• Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) is the 1st realistic step in regenerative medicine treatment for musculoskeletal disease. Specifically utilizing a patient’s own blood we are able to inject a high concentration of platelets and growth factors into the area that has been injured helping to enhance and speed the recovery process from both acute and chronic tendon and joint diseases.

Goals of PRP Treatment

• PRP can help repair damaged tendons and joints. This in turn can improve pain and functional ability. This is different than steroid injections which help pain alone.

What conditions can be treated with PRP

• Many different tendon and joint diseases can be treated with PRP, such as tendon tears and chronic tendinitis. But a number of conditions should not be treated with PRP.

• Common conditions treated include:    
  

-Shoulder pain- Rotator cuff tendinitis



-Knee pain- Runner's/Jumper's knee



-Foot and Ankle pain- Achilles tendinitis, Plantar fasciitis



-Tennis elbow, Golfer's elbow

-Arthritis affecting the knee, hip, ankle, shoulder, and elbow can be considered assuming there is healthy cartilage remaining in the joint.

-Treatment for bursitis, ligament, and meniscal damage is potentially useful as well. 

What are the risks of PRP therapy?

• Risks with any injection include potential for infection and bleeding, both are rare. There are no other specific known risks with PRP given that the blood comes directly from you.

How do we know we are injecting the right spot?

• Utilizing musculoskeletal ultrasound, your specific injured area is identified. There is no guess work involved, the right spot is identified directly on ultrasound. Furthermore, during the injection we visualize the needle injecting the injured area confirming we are treating your injury properly.  Compared to performing this procedure blindly, injecting with ultrasound guidance is more targeted, more effective, less painful, and safer.

Tennis Elbow injection with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) utilizing ultrasound guidance.

PRP injection in a patient with Shoulder pain. Utilizing ultrasound guidance PRP is specifically injected into a small tear within the supraspinatus tendon.