Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a biotechnology that involves the injection of a small volume of your own plasma directly at the site of injury.
How we help
PRP injections are meant to restore high mechanical performance and functional levels of the injured tissue in the shortest possible time.
PRP is constituted of numerous highly concentrated growth factors secreted from large numbers of ‘activated’ platelets. The growth factors are your own healing messenger proteins stored within the blood platelets. We direct those platelets at the injury to enhance physiological wound healing and rapid soft-tissue, cartilage, and bone generation.
About the procedure
First, we take four to six tubes of whole blood from a vein in your arm. You may then take 20 minutes to eat and drink while the sample is processed.
The blood is put through a process of centrifugation and separation of the different plasma fractions. The method we use for the separation of PRP is done under sterile conditions, and the process end point is a tube containing the concentrate named PRP, which is activated with calcium chloride before administration.
You then come back into the treatment room for the injection into the area to be treated (e.g. knee joint, hip joint, Achilles tendon). Depending on the area, you may have the injection under ultrasound guidance. If the injured site is next to the skin (as opposed to a deep tissue layer), we do not use local anesthetic as it interferes with PRP action.
You should allow two hours for the whole procedure, and longer for ultrasound guided treatments.
