Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2013 , Vol 59 , Num 4

Platelet-Rich Plasma Applications

Bilge Yılmaz 1 ,Serdar Kesikburun 2
1 Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Rehabilitasyon Merkezi, Ankara, Türkiye
2 Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Rehabilitasyon ve Bakım Merkezi, Ankara, Türkiye
DOI : 10.4274/tftr.78700

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been utilized with its effect of inducing tissue healing in medicine primarily in maxillofacial and cardiovascular surgery for 20 years; it has been started to be applied recently in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries as well. Growth factors and bioactive proteins that platelets contain have a crucial role in the healing process. High concentrated autologous platelet injection grafts stimulate healing in chronic non-healing bone and soft tissue injuries. A limitation of repair mechanism has been indicated in chronic enthesopathies, rather than an inflammatory response. Instead of anti-inflammatory treatments that have conflicting long-term results, PRP injections are aimed to provide a promising alternative to surgery by promoting safe and natural healing in such cases resistant to therapy. In this review, we present basic principles of PRP and its application in the musculoskeletal disorders.

Keywords : Platelet-rich plasma, tendinopathy, osteoarthritis