Platelet-Rich Plasma For Bone Healing: Myth or Fact?
WEDNESDAY, 11 APRIL 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) has a proven record for healing soft tissues and other living tissues. But can it actually heal bones? This could mean PRP, when applied to an affected area such as an elbow joint, knee, or backbone area, heals everything within its reach, including bones. Is that really why PRP works? Let’s examine.
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Bone Healing
Bones are not just lifeless matter attached to living tissues. They are as much living as the tissues themselves and are constantly changing. Old bone cells are broken down and replaced with new ones in a three-part process called bone remodeling. This involves resorption (digestion of old bone cells), reversal (birthing of new cells), and formation (new cells turn into fully formed bones).
This process, like other biological processes in the body, requires hormones and growth factors. Some of these include parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitriol, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), prostaglandins, tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), and cytokines. For this discussion, we need to remember only one thing: a large number of cytokines and growth factors are involved in the bone remodeling process. This means we can accelerate the bone remodeling process by supplying these cytokines and growth factors as suggested by various studies.
Why Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), being completely “whole and natural,” can more closely simulate a highly efficient in-vivo situation than anything else made up of artificial recombinant proteins. In PRP, we take advantage of the biological benefits of growth factors whose functions we know as well as those we do not know yet. From the 15+ factors we know are in PRP, including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), platelet factor 4 (PF4), interleukin 1 (IL-1), platelet-derived angiogenesis factor (PDAF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived endothelial growth factor (PDEGF), epithelial cell growth factor (ECGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), osteocalcin (Oc), osteonectin (On), fibrinogen (Fg), vitronectin (Vn), fibronectin (Fn), and thrombospontin-1 (TSP-1), we’re supplying a “holistic” set of nutrients for healing that cannot be mimicked by those obtained artificially.
PRP: Organic Fertilizers for the Body
The difference with PRP is akin to adding chemical fertilizers versus organic fertilizers to plants. Chemical fertilizers are rich in essential nutrients that we know are needed for crops. On the other hand, organic fertilizers supply nutrients not only to the plants but also to the soil, improving the soil structure and tilth, water-holding capacity, reducing erosion, and promoting slow and consistent release of nutrients to the plants. Clearly, organic fertilizers are better, aren’t they?
Platelet-Rich Plasma is like organic fertilizers for our body.
Bonus: Strong Antimicrobial Properties
PRP’s healing function also has synergistic antimicrobial properties. A new study confirms that using Platelet-Rich Plasma in surgeries may have the potential to prevent infection and reduce the need for costly post-operative treatments. That’s a nice bonus for the organic fertilizer of our bodies. Perhaps there are more benefits to discover.
Conclusion
The scope of Platelet-Rich Plasma is growing as the scientific community continues to unearth its inherent properties. PRP is an unignorable and unavoidable component of healing.
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7 PRP Treatments That Are Popular Right Now
TUESDAY, 10 APRIL 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
The time it takes to draw a patient’s blood, add a little citrate, and use a centrifugal machine with a PRP kit is only 15-20 minutes. This is the amount of time needed to create Platelet-Rich Plasma, or PRP. This can then be used for many purposes, including speeding up a patient’s recovery. PRP is by far the best healing agent that has growth factors and platelets to help with the healing process, which is also completely free and natural to obtain.
What are The Advantages Of Using PRP Correctly?
It is easy to create PRP simply by placing blood in a centrifuge, but it can have very few, if any, platelets and would otherwise be useless. However, with the right equipment, you can make PRP with up to 7x the amount of platelets. This can be amplified by using fat tissue and collagen fibers to create a PRP matrix.
7 Popular PRP Treatments
1. Facial Treatments
Many skin centers are thriving due to being one of the first to adopt PRP therapies. With the lack of side effects or downtime, it became incredibly popular. These treatments include wrinkle reduction, skin rejuvenation, dark circle and bag erasure, rosacea treatment, and even lip augmentation. One popular and generic treatment option includes combining PRP and a treatment known as microneedling. When this is applied, its effects are similar to Botox or facelifts, for far less cost and side effects.
2. Hair Loss
PRP growth factors can be beneficial when it comes to reversing non-genetic early-stage hair loss. Despite there being a huge market for this, almost no practitioners actually utilize it. Many clients have seen promise after hair thinning, and many have seen beard regrowth over time.
3. Arthritis and Cartilage
Arthritis treatments alone cost patients 6.4 billion dollars in 2013 for the US alone, with projections of up to 9 billion by the end of the decade. However, unlike other treatments, PRP is seen as the only treatment that can not just reduce symptoms but also regrow the cartilage. One of the most popular examples would be treatments for Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis.
4. Anti-aging Properties
When it comes to the anti-aging market, there are endless treatments and procedures available. Yet, none of them even stand close to the effectiveness of PRP therapy. PRP combined with microneedling can be highly effective for stretch marks, acne scars, breast augmentation, and even skin conditions like Lichen Sclerosus.
5. Pain Relief and Musculoskeletal Healing
There are numerous treatments in this category, many of which are incredibly more effective than leading treatments. These include healing rotator cuffs, tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis, patellar tendonitis, back pain, hip and pelvic problems, degenerative disc disease, golfer’s elbow, labral tear, bursitis, neck pain, avascular necrosis, and even pain related to nerve regeneration. Almost all of these treatments, unlike those in other categories on this list, also use ultrasound guidance when injecting the PRP directly into the affected tissue. This can allow patients to see fantastic results in as little as two weeks.
6. Fertility
Ovarian rejuvenation is where PRP is injected directly into a woman’s ovaries. This is meant to help reverse menopause and help lower fertility issues. This treatment can even be used for sexual regeneration. Although similar, this treatment is not the same as other treatments where PRP is injected into the vagina and is supposed to treat looseness, dryness, low sex drive, and incontinence.
7. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Allergies, asthma, and COPD are among the growing list of conditions that PRP is being used to treat. For this to work, the PRP is mixed with a saline solution and then, using a nebulizer, inhaled, helping to regenerate lung tissue. Although it can take up to two months for patients to see the effects, many are seeing improvements. Almost 1 million people suffer from COPD a year, so anything that can help treat the condition is beneficial.
The Future of PRP
PRP has been trending rather well in recent years and seems to be here for the long term. Not only is it a fully natural remedy, but it is one that works better than most, if not all, traditional treatments. Many like it due to the fact that there are few side effects, it only takes a short amount of time, and there is no recovery period.
PRP has been adopted by thousands of clinics and practices throughout the US and the world. The demand for these treatments has been increasing almost faster than practices are choosing to provide them. Many patients are even willing to travel long distances just to receive these treatments.
So, are you providing PRP treatments yet?
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How Foot and Ankle Surgeons Can Benefit From PRP
TUESDAY, 03 APRIL 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
Since it is a new science, many people are skeptical about Platelet-Rich Plasma, otherwise known as PRP. There are some studies out there that state that PRP works no better than a similarly administered placebo, but there are many other studies and doctors that claim that PRP works and works well. This also works well at a much lower cost and with fewer side effects than traditional medicine. One branch where the skepticism is loud and clear is podiatry, which deals with feet and ankles. Trying to combat this skepticism can help many surgeons to lower complication rates, improve patient satisfaction, and have better outcomes. For instance, here is a list of cases where PRP has been effective for the feet and ankles.
Plantar Fasciitis
PRP has become rather common as a treatment for Plantar Fasciitis, with many studies to prove the efficacy of this treatment. For instance, Dr. Daanial Kassicieh of Sarasota Neurology claims that PRP is one of the most effective treatments for this condition and that PRP can actually fully cure it. Many of his patients have avoided surgery just by utilizing PRP therapy. This is done with no downtime, no rehabilitation, and no side effects. This would explain why plantar fasciitis is the 5th most popular medical condition treated by PRP. This can be explained by the fact that over 3 million people are diagnosed with this condition and no other treatment really works for it besides, in fact, PRP.
Achilles Tendonitis
This is another condition that can be fairly hard to treat and gets worse over time unless healed. Many surgical approaches are often tricky and generally do not end up with good results. Because of this, the main treatment option is simply to give patients corticosteroids to reduce the pain, but really nothing else to treat the symptoms. However, there have been many studies done that have shown that PRP is a lot more effective, including those from the European Foot and Ankle Society. This means that PRP is a safer and more effective alternative than any other treatments available.
Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Diabetic foot ulcers can be troublesome, especially when they do not heal or heal properly. Over 2.5 million Americans with diabetes suffer from these ulcers. About 11% of these cases may need amputation of the affected limb. However, some studies have noted that just one injection of PRP and a topical solution bi-weekly started to heal the ulcers in just 8 weeks. Topical PRP has also been shown to work better than antiseptic creams as well.
Regenerating Bones
Bone regeneration is most commonly needed in the foot and ankle area. Although mechanical stabilization works best, the utilization of PRP has been surprising. PRP helps with healing bones and soft tissue at the damage site. According to a recent systematic review of 64 articles, the conclusion was to include more PRP therapy into the healing of foot and ankle bones. The science behind this is solid. For bone or tissue to form, three things are needed in the area:
- A scaffold for the growth to take place
- Biological stimulants to signal proteins
- Stem cells that provide bone-building potential
All three of these are crucial for bone formation. PRP can provide at least two of these, so there is no reason to ignore it when it comes to bone regeneration.
Ankle Sprains
This is an incredibly common condition and can be effectively treated by using PRP therapy. In one randomized controlled trial, researchers studied the effects of PRP injections on athletes with ankle sprains. This study showed that not only did PRP reduce the healing time by 20 days, but they also experienced much less pain. This can reduce the recovery period from 6 weeks to just about 2 or 3 weeks.
Immobilization is Vital
When it comes to foot and ankle-related injuries, one thing that really cannot be avoided is rest and rehabilitation. This is true regardless of whether PRP is administered. Because of this, many of the studies that show PRP to be ineffective often don’t use rest and rehabilitation, and that alone can be an issue. PRP is in no way a magic pill. All foot injuries need rest and rehabilitation in order to properly heal. With these two combined, it can drastically reduce healing times.
How Can Foot and Ankle Surgeons Benefit?
Using PRP in foot and ankle injuries is not going anywhere, so utilizing it would be the best way to go. Test it out with your patients, and try using platelet-rich plasma therapy instead of simply prescribing pills or doing costly surgeries. Your patients will thank you in the end.
- Published in Blog
Why Should you Include PRP In Your Medical Practice?
MONDAY, 26 MARCH 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) has been a lifesaver for many medical practices, reigniting physicians’ passion for medicine. Not only is it 100% derived from the patient’s own body, but it is also natural and comes with minimal side effects. PRP can treat a wide range of medical conditions, often outperforming other treatment options.
The Simplicity of PRP
One of the most compelling reasons to include PRP in your practice is its simplicity. With an initial investment of about $1000, you can start offering PRP therapies. The equipment is relatively inexpensive and pays for itself quickly.
Long-Term Popularity
PRP is not a passing trend. It has been gaining popularity for years and shows no signs of slowing down. The market for PRP therapies is expected to reach nearly $500 million within the next decade, with an annual growth rate of 12.5% since 2015.
High Patient Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction is another significant advantage. In certain cases, satisfaction rates have been as high as 95%. Patients are often surprised by the efficacy of PRP, believing that their conditions could not be reversed or halted without side effects, downtime, and invasive surgeries.
Meeting the Growing Demand
Now is the time to start including PRP in your practice. The supply is low, but demand is booming. PRP therapies hold great promise, especially when combined with other treatments to increase efficacy. Since no standard has been established, you have the opportunity to set these standards yourself.
Be a Pioneer in PRP Therapy
It is vital that more doctors utilize PRP therapy to become pioneers in this field. PRP has the potential to revolutionize medicine, and missing out would not be a smart option.
Versatility Across Specialties
PRP can be utilized in almost every field and specialty, from sports medicine and pain management to skin rejuvenation, hair care, and even urology. Most physicians who use PRP treatments have also seen higher patient retention rates.
Conclusion: A Smart Addition to Your Practice
So, is there a legitimate reason not to add PRP to your practice? With its simplicity, high patient satisfaction, growing popularity, and versatility, PRP is a smart addition to any medical practice. Start offering PRP treatments and watch your practice thrive.
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How To Choose A Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Kit
MONDAY, 26 MARCH 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) extraction methods have sparked debate due to varying reliability. Understanding how to select the best PRP kit can resolve these concerns and optimize treatment outcomes.
The Importance of Using a PRP Kit
Merely centrifuging blood in a test tube—often termed “bloody PRP”—is ineffective and may contain excessive red and white blood cells, potentially causing post-injection flare-ups. In contrast, PRP kits can concentrate platelets up to 5-7 times baseline levels, crucial for effective treatment.
Characteristics of a Good PRP Kit
Choosing the right PRP kit hinges on its ability to control platelet concentrations and eliminate unwanted cells, tailored to specific medical conditions.
Gel Separators
Kits with gel separators separate blood components via osmosis, retaining plasma and platelets while removing red and white blood cells. This method achieves modest platelet concentrations.
Buffy Coat
PRP kits that feature a buffy coat layer offer higher platelet concentrations (5-7 times baseline). The buffy coat, composed of platelets and white blood cells, is separated from red blood cells to minimize contamination.
Buffy Coat with Double Spin
Optimal for PRP quality, this kit further purifies the buffy coat by eliminating red blood cells through a second spin. This results in highly concentrated PRP with minimal red blood cell presence.
Biosafe Kit
Regarded as one of the best on the market, the Biosafe kit provides precise control over PRP production. It yields approximately 10cc of product, which can be double-spun for optimal platelet concentration. Users can customize the final product by choosing the inclusion or exclusion of red blood cells.
Understanding Leukocyte-Poor PRP
Leukocyte-poor PRP excludes white blood cells, which some believe may trigger inflammation and hinder growth factors. However, others argue that leukocytes are crucial for healing responses, promoting tissue regeneration and enhanced growth factor presence.
Choosing Filters for Leukocyte Reduction
To achieve leukocyte-poor PRP, practitioners can utilize Leukocyte Reduction (LR) filters like the CIF-LR filter, which efficiently separates white blood cells via electrostatic attraction. This ensures minimal clogging and filters out up to 99.99% of white blood cells.
Supporting Evidence for PRP
Despite skepticism, PRP’s efficacy is backed by extensive scientific research spanning decades and over 6000 studies. Patient willingness to pay out-of-pocket further underscores its perceived effectiveness, highlighting its growing popularity despite insurance coverage limitations.
Conclusion: Integrating PRP Into Practice
Choosing the right PRP kit is pivotal for optimizing treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. With its proven benefits and increasing demand, integrating PRP into your medical practice offers a promising opportunity to enhance patient care and treatment efficacy.
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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) For Osteopathic Physicians
TUESDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
Although they can perform surgeries, osteopathic physicians try to avoid doing so whenever possible. Because of this, PRP seems to be an excellent fit for their practice. Since Osteopathy was built on the idea of self-healing, PRP seems to be a perfect fit.
The Current State of PRP Research
A while ago, PRP research was reviewed by The Journal Of The American Osteopathic Association, which concluded that more studies and evidence are needed to make a solid statement on its efficacy. Later, a case study was filed showcasing an 18-year-old high school football player who suffered from a sports injury. The case study showed that the muscle injury healed rapidly under PRP therapy. Although PRP is not yet universally acclaimed, it doesn’t mean Osteopathic Physicians can’t learn a lot or benefit from its use in their practice.
How Osteopathic Physicians Can Benefit From PRP
It’s Holistic
Osteopathic Physicians prefer to treat the patient rather than just treating a disease or its symptoms, making PRP a great fit. PRP works by using the body’s own resources and mechanics to help it heal itself over time. Instead of merely addressing symptoms like many conventional medicines do, it tackles the problem directly.
For example, there are cases where PRP therapy has taken the place of surgery and medication. Female patients have revived their sex drive after being treated for incontinence. While PRP therapy was initially pushed by allopathic doctors, it works wonders in Osteopathic medicine and can become a key treatment method for Osteopathic physicians.
Musculoskeletal Issues
In many practices, musculoskeletal pain is a common issue for Osteopathic Physicians. PRP is quickly becoming a primary treatment for these kinds of problems. For instance, many researchers believe PRP should be the main choice for patients suffering from knee meniscus issues.
In 2016, University of Missouri Doctor Patrick Smith published an FDA-sanctioned double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial on PRP. These trials are considered the gold standard in research. The study concluded that PRP provides safe and notable benefits for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
The Vast Potential of PRP
The third and most important reason why all physicians, including Osteopathic Physicians, should start using PRP therapy is its wide scope. Since PRP is simple and common, it’s safe to say that if PRP works on knee joints and tendons, it likely works on other tendons, joints, bones, and muscles. PRP will soon be a commonplace treatment for nearly all musculoskeletal diseases.
This means PRP has near limitless potential. This is especially important for Osteopathic Physicians because if a patient has a wrist problem, the main issue might appear further down the arm. Multiple PRP injections in various areas can not only heal the issue but also enhance other traditional methods used. This will help restore balance to the body and give full functionality back to the patient.
Success Stories and Expert Opinions
American Academy of Regenerative Medicine Doctor Peter Lewis has administered over 100,000 PRP injections to over 12,000 patients. He claims that more than 80% of his patients who have undergone PRP therapy have had fantastic results. Even patients who were candidates for surgery have benefited from PRP.
Are PRP Treatments FDA Approved?
As of this year, PRP treatments are not yet subject to FDA approval. This is because all treatments are performed on the same day as the extraction and use only materials already inside the patient’s body. Therefore, PRP therapy falls within the scope of the FDA Code of Federal Regulation title 21, part 1270, 1271.1, making it exempt from needing approval.
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What is regenerative medicine?
TUESDAY, 30 JANUARY 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
Regenerative medicine is the exciting cutting-edge “medicine of the future” which holds the hope and promise of efficacy centered around the ability of human tissue to be repaired, replaced, and healed (regenerated) once human tissues and organs are damaged or diseased. Regenerative therapies aid and supplement the natural healing mechanisms of the body. These therapies often employ the activation of stem cells to stimulate the renewal of tissue damaged by injury, disease, or age. The rapid expansion of scientific knowledge offers great promise for continuing advances in this field of medicine, which holds vast potential to improve the quality of human life.
What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are the basic building blocks of life. They are unspecialized cells that can produce more stem cells through mitosis or differentiate into specialized cells that carry out specific functions in the body. Stem cells are found throughout the body’s tissues, organs, and systems, although usually in small quantities in adults.
What are Hematopoietic Stem Cells?
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can give rise to all types of blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. They are particularly useful in the treatment of blood-related diseases and conditions.
What are Mesenchymal Stem Cells?
Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are multipotent stromal cells that are non-blood-forming stem cells and can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including muscle, bone, cartilage, and fat cells.
When introduced into a patient’s body, MSCs can repair or replace damaged or degenerating tissue by communicating with the surrounding cells, causing a cellular cascade of healing (paracrine signaling).
The History and Potential of MSCs
Historically, the term MSC was coined in the late ’80s by the biomedical research authority, Dr. Arnold Caplan of Case Western Reserve. The acronym has recently been redefined by Caplan to “Medicinal Signaling Cell” since these cells secrete powerful bioactive molecules involved in cellular signaling and regeneration. Caplan now describes MSCs as a “multisite-regulatory dispensary” (Natural Drug Store).
The production of MSCs in the human body can be precipitated by bioactive placental tissues containing Growth Factors, Cytokines, and other powerful bioactive agents which trigger cell signaling.
The remarkable ability of MSCs makes them irreplaceable in medical treatments.
Accessible Sources of Stem Cells
Stem cells can be extracted from various parts of the body. They have been extracted from bone marrow and adipose tissue for a few decades. More recently, birth tissues from live births, including umbilical cord blood, cord tissue with Wharton’s Jelly, and amniotic membrane tissue, have been found to be a rich source of both HSCs and MSCs. These tissues precipitate target tissue production of MSCs through paracrine signaling. Growth Factors, Cytokines, Exosomes, and micro-RNA from birth tissues give rise to stem cells in this way. These cells, as well as MSCs contained in Wharton’s Jelly, tend to be more fit than adult stem cells.
Wharton’s Jelly
Wharton’s jelly is a gelatinous substance found in the umbilical cord, which is rich in stem cells. Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have low immunogenicity. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly provides a new source for MSCs that are highly proliferative and have multi-differentiation potential. Wharton’s Jelly Cells (WJCs) express MSC markers but low levels of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-ABC and no HLA-DR. WJCs have low functional immunogenicity, and therefore recipient rejection has not been documented.
Advanced Regenerative Medicine
Advanced Regenerative Medicine involves the use of regenerative biomolecules, tissue engineering, and stem cells to treat diseased or injured tissues.
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Photobiomodulation and why do we use a LED to irradiate PRP
Exploring the Power of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Regenerative Medicine
WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 2018 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG
We have been in the regenerative medicine specialty for about 8 years. Like pretty much everyone, we started by using Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). We learned about it, were fascinated by it, and treated our patients with it. Patients loved it, and so did we.
The Versatility of PRP
PRP, if obtained and used correctly, is a very powerful tool to implement in any medical practice. It is especially useful for treating the elderly, osteoarthritis, wear and tear of tendons and ligaments, and loss of vitality. PRP is also frequently used in plastic and reconstructive surgery for wound care, scar improvement, and overall rejuvenation of the skin.
How Does PRP Work?
We are all familiar with platelets. They have significant power and influence over tissue regeneration. By concentrating them in a blood sample, we can obtain signaling proteins, cytokines, and growth factors. Adding white blood cells to the mix creates what is called L-PRP (leukocyte-rich PRP), making that “soup” even more potent.
Activating PRP for Maximum Benefits
To harness the power of these bioactive substances, we need to coax the cells into releasing them. Normally, platelets get activated by the addition of calcium or by contact with collagen. However, several studies have demonstrated the influence of low-intensity laser on the activity of some cells. This effect is called “Photobiomodulation.”
Understanding Photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation is a form of light therapy that uses non-ionizing light sources, like LEDs or Helium-Neon lasers, to produce photochemical events at various biological scales. It has been demonstrated that this light interacts with the enzyme Cytochrome C oxidase, which is crucial in mitochondrial processes.
The Impact of Low-Level Laser Therapy
Several scientists studied this light and its effects on cellular cultures. They found that cells proliferate more when exposed to low-level laser and showed increased viability. We compared the levels of cytokines and growth factors in irradiated and non-irradiated samples. Sure enough, some growth factors even tripled in concentration after laser exposure. The famous Interleukin 10, an anti-inflammatory protein, doubled its levels, and endorphins were released in high levels.
Benefits of Photobiomodulation
The photobiomodulation process provides extraordinary benefits in pain management, inflammation reduction, immunomodulation, and promotion of wound healing and tissue regeneration. It plays a fundamental part in our protocols.
Conclusion
Isn’t it all amazing? The potential of PRP and photobiomodulation in regenerative medicine continues to astonish us. We will see you in the next blog. Keep your cells healthy!
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