Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections and Surgery: Short-Term Outcomes and Long-Term Prognosis

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a blood derivate that contains a high value of platelet concentration, a variable number of red blood cells and white blood cell according to the method of preparation. Platelet-derived growth factors are powerful and promising molecules that could be useful in the management of sport-associated injuries, such as tendinopathies, muscular lesions, and cartilage damages, and to improve graft tissue healing. Uncontrolled studies on tendinopathy reported nearly universally good-to-excellent results after treatment with PRP, but this was not the case when controlled studies were undertaken. The studies that augmented surgically repaired tendons or ligaments do not allow reaching a definitive conclusion—too many variables could influence the outcomes. To understand which disorders are more susceptible to the effects of PRP, more basic science studies and better designed clinical studies comparing a standardized PRP formulation are necessary.