Platelet-rich Plasma: Wirkprinzip und Behandlung von Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates

The usage of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the most recent, highly developed answers of orthopedic surgery to the modern, upcoming fields of tissue engineering. It is based on the consideration of delivering blood-derived growth factors to so-called bradytroph tissue which is characterized minimal blood vessel supply and therefore minor regeneration capacity. Many pathologies of cartilaginous and tendinous structures, which are essential representatives of these minimal perfused tissues, are understood as a result of a condition of chronic stress overdose, overburding their minimal regenerative capacity. Substitution of an expanding subset of growth factors, plenty available in human blood, where they can particularly be found in thrombocytes, could in part compensate this lack in regeneration, summing up the underlying theory behind PRP. Initial in vitro studies highly supported this theory, subsequently led to promising in vivo studies finally peaking in clinical studies. We reviewed the available PRP related data to provide an overview on the current theoretic idea behind PRP and a representative survey of clinical knowledge evaluating the clinical feasibility of the PRP usage in treatment of sport induced pathologies.