Bone and Wound Healing Augmentation with Platelet-Rich Plasma

Over the past two decades, autologous platelets that have been sequestered, concentrated, and mixed with thrombin to generate growth factor–concentrated platelet-rich plasma for application to bone and wounds to aide healing have been a subject of great interest. This article reviews the literature related to the use of autologous platelet-rich plasma in bone and wound healing, and reviews the processes necessary to secure a high concentration of viable platelets. Although not yet definitive, autologous platelet-rich plasma has been shown to be safe, reproducible, and effective in mimicking the natural process of bone and wound healing.