Blood plasma enriched with platelets is known as Platelet Rich Plasma or simply, PRP. It is essentially a concentrated solution (about 5 times above normal) of platelets that are administered to stimulate the healing of soft tissue and bones. This is because it contains several growth factors like interleukin-8, fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor, and connective tissue growth factor among others.

The sporting profession has benefited a lot from Platelet Rich Plasma and features successful treatments of sports injuries in many cases. Recent reviews have lauded the promising potential of PRP to become the preferred treatment joints, tendon, muscle, and ligament injuries.

There exists little opposition or disapproval of the ability of growth factors (cytokines) in the repair of tissues. It is this premise that PRP hypothetically holds a strong potential to become the leading choice of treatment for athletes, sportsmen, or anyone with such injuries.

Platelet Rich Plasma will increase the normal blood platelet count by an approximate factor of five. This will vary according to the techniques employed and the type of equipments utilized to obtain the concentration.

It is debatable whether PRP is best used as a complementary treatment to surgery, that is, to speed up the recovery process, or whether it may actually replace surgery. Clinical studies now reveal that this is dependent in the particular case.

During a Platelet Rich Plasma treatment, the patient’s blood is drawn out and spun to single out the platelets from the red blood cells. Bovine thrombin and a 10% calcium chloride are then added to the platelets which will then be administered into the injured or problematic area and stimulate the growth factors.

Note that several growth factors are activated as opposed to single recombinant ones. This ensures efficacy of PRP which can take under a quarter of an hour.