Although blood mainly consists of a liquid called plasma, it also contains a number of other components including red cells, white cells, and platelets. Platelets circulate in the blood and play a crucial role in blood clotting. They also contain proteins called growth factors, which are needed to stimulate the healing of injuries.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is plasma produced from a person’s blood that has a much higher platelet concentration than usual. The platelet concentration and therefore growth factor concentration in PRP can be three to five times greater than would usually be present in the blood.
Injection of this PRP, enriched with platelets and growth factors, is becoming a popular option for boosting the body’s natural healing process in cases of injury to the tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, bone, and muscles. In some cases, PRP therapy can reduce the need for medication or surgical approaches to musculoskeletal problems. Although researchers are not sure exactly how PRP injection therapy works, studies have shown that the enriched concentration of growth factors in PRP has the potential to increase the speed at which healing occurs.
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2017