Arthritis Treatment: Platelet-Rich Plasma: Why Does It Work for Arthritis and Tendonitis Treatment?
Platelet-rich plasma or PRP as it is often referred to, is becoming more popular as a potential treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.
So what is PRP? Platelet-rich plasma is an ultra- concentrate of whole blood.
Normally blood consists of a large number of red blood cells, a smaller number of white blood cells, and an even smaller fraction of platelets.
For example, normal blood contains about 94% red blood cells and white blood cells.
The remaining 6 % are platelets.
When platelets are concentrated, the numbers are reversed with platelets constituting 94% of a specimen of platelet-rich plasma.
Each of these cell types has a different function.
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin.
They are responsible for oxygen transport from the lungs to the various tissues.
White blood cells are integral participants in the normal immune response.
They are responsible for fending off infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses.
Platelets have a dual function.
They are responsible for the initiation of a clot as well as for providing assistance for future healing.
Platelets are relatively small but they contain alpha granules.
These alpha granules are loaded with multiple growth and healing factors.
Examples are platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and so on.
These growth factors, when released, rush to the site of injury where they form an initial clot that acts as both a barrier to infection (hemostatic barrier) as well as serving as a scaffold for other cells responsible for healing to cling to.
By releasing various protein messengers as well as the growth factors, platelets are able to attract white blood cells, red blood cells, and autologous mesenchymal stem cells.
These are stem cells every normal person has in their bone marrow.
The growth factors from platelets attach to surface receptors on the stem cells and cause the stem cells to multiply and divide.
So...
to reiterate, this whole sequence of events is what leads to the formation of a hemostatic barrier (clot), inflammation, tissue regeneration, tissue remodeling, and eventual healing.
What is particularly attractive about what platelets are able to do is to significantly shorten the length of time for this healing cycle to take place.
Since articular cartilage and tendons lack sufficient blood supply to allow healing, the use of a vehicle such as PRP makes sense as a potential healing tool when these tissues undergo injury.
This is particularly crucial when the problems relate to degeneration which is the usual problem in ":maturing" Baby Boomers.
So what is PRP? Platelet-rich plasma is an ultra- concentrate of whole blood.
Normally blood consists of a large number of red blood cells, a smaller number of white blood cells, and an even smaller fraction of platelets.
For example, normal blood contains about 94% red blood cells and white blood cells.
The remaining 6 % are platelets.
When platelets are concentrated, the numbers are reversed with platelets constituting 94% of a specimen of platelet-rich plasma.
Each of these cell types has a different function.
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin.
They are responsible for oxygen transport from the lungs to the various tissues.
White blood cells are integral participants in the normal immune response.
They are responsible for fending off infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses.
Platelets have a dual function.
They are responsible for the initiation of a clot as well as for providing assistance for future healing.
Platelets are relatively small but they contain alpha granules.
These alpha granules are loaded with multiple growth and healing factors.
Examples are platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and so on.
These growth factors, when released, rush to the site of injury where they form an initial clot that acts as both a barrier to infection (hemostatic barrier) as well as serving as a scaffold for other cells responsible for healing to cling to.
By releasing various protein messengers as well as the growth factors, platelets are able to attract white blood cells, red blood cells, and autologous mesenchymal stem cells.
These are stem cells every normal person has in their bone marrow.
The growth factors from platelets attach to surface receptors on the stem cells and cause the stem cells to multiply and divide.
So...
to reiterate, this whole sequence of events is what leads to the formation of a hemostatic barrier (clot), inflammation, tissue regeneration, tissue remodeling, and eventual healing.
What is particularly attractive about what platelets are able to do is to significantly shorten the length of time for this healing cycle to take place.
Since articular cartilage and tendons lack sufficient blood supply to allow healing, the use of a vehicle such as PRP makes sense as a potential healing tool when these tissues undergo injury.
This is particularly crucial when the problems relate to degeneration which is the usual problem in ":maturing" Baby Boomers.
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