Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP)

PRP Treatment for Orthopaedic Injuries

Part of a multidisciplinary Orthopaedics team, our internationally-acclaimed Orthopaedic Consultants provide patients with the latest cutting-edge treatments. One such treatment is Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, which aims to accelerate the body’s healing process using protein-rich platelets. A treatment used by a range of high-profile sports stars to speed up their recovery from injury has soared in popularity in recent years.

At New Victoria Hospital, our Consultants are experts in administering PRP treatments for an array of Orthopaedic injuries and issues. Supported by a team of experienced nurses and specialist physiotherapists, they will also ensure you enjoy the highest standard of care.

What is Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) involves extracting healing growth components from your blood in order to reuse it in targeted areas of their body, to stimulate local stem cells’ natural ability to repair damaged tissue. We collect a small amount of a patient’s blood, then spin it in a centrifuge to separate the blood platelets from other cells. The collected and separated platelets are then injected locally into the damaged area to stimulate the healing process. It is the platelets in blood which always act when they detect an injury in the body, clotting to stop bleeding and helping to regenerate new tissue in the inflamed area.

Best known for their role in clotting blood, platelets, the smallest of our blood cells, contain hundreds of proteins called ‘growth factors’. These proteins help heal any injuries we pick up as they stimulate the growth of cells and new tissues. Any time we pick up a soft-tissue injury, the body rushes platelets to the affected area to start healing.

The whole process is a closed system.The blood is extracted, platelets separated, and then reinjected without any part of the blood coming into contact with the air or other environment.

PRP, by definition, is plasma that contains a higher concentration of platelets (and therefore growth factors) than would normally be present in the blood. Recent studies even suggest that there are 5 to 10 times the number of platelets in PRP compared with a normal plasma sample. Due to the healing capabilities of platelets, it is agreed among many medical experts that PRP can help speed up the healing process when injected at the site of an injury. This process is called PRP treatment.

How Can PRP be Used to Treat Orthopaedic Injuries?

PRP treatments have been shown to help many suffering from Orthopedic conditions recover quicker and, in some cases, avoid surgery. It is seen as a strong alternative when anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections, physiotherapy and surgical treatments have proved unsuccessful.

PRP benefits:

Tissue regeneration
Quicker recovery
Pain relief
Reduction or avoidance of anti-inflammatory therapy

Amongst others, PRP therapy can be used to treat a range of orthopaedic conditions including:

Soft-tissue injuries (tendons, ligaments, muscles)
Rotator cuff tears
Achilles’ tendon ruptures
Tendonitis
Tennis elbow
Golfer’s elbow
Arthritis

Are There Any Side Effects?

The use of platelet transfusions is established and common practice in medicine, in treating various disorders and conditions such as in cancer treatment. However, in PRP therapy, it is always your own plasma which is used in your treatment, and as a result there is no danger of transmitting diseases, or of allergic reactions or anaphylaxis.

Infection, although very low, is the main risk associated with PRP treatment, but as we use a closed system in the treatment, and we are meticulous about infection control, this risk is kept as low as it possibly can be.