One of the newest non-surgical treatments is platelet-rich plasma injections. They are intended for the treatment of various injuries and a number of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Using the method
At present, the treatment with these injections is becoming more and more popular in the world. After all, platelet-rich plasma contains special growth factors. They play one of the most important roles in the restoration of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons. This method promotes wound healing, intra-articular restoration of hyaluronic acid, coagulation and hemostasis. It also has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
This therapy shows the greatest effectiveness in the following diseases: epicondylitis, tendinitis, enthesopathy, tendinosis. It can also be prescribed for the appearance of false joints, with delayed fusion of broken bones, cartilage damage, which is often observed in injuries and osteoarthritis. But this is not a complete list yet.using platelet-rich plasma. It also helps to speed up healing after surgical interventions, such as endoprosthetics or arthroscopic surgeries.
Indications
Currently, there are many areas where enriched plasma injections can be used. This technology has become the most popular among sports doctors and in dentistry. But more and more often you can hear about its use in cosmetology.
For example, it can be used as a preventive measure against aging or for recovery after plastic surgery, aggressive cosmetic procedures or prolonged exposure to the sun. Platelet injections are given to treat skin suffering from the patient's bad habits, nightlife, certain medications, or general deterioration.
The technology is also used to treat seborrhea, acne, scarring of the skin. Good results are achieved with injections to improve hair growth.
Performing procedure
Many people are afraid to inject platelet-rich plasma because they believe that donated blood is used to prepare it. But in most clinics that specialize in such procedures, they will explain to you that this is not the case.
The specialist takes the patient's venous blood. It is necessary to collect at least 20 ml immediately into a special test tube, which is placed in a centrifuge. In this case, the blood does not come into contact with the external environment, which excludes the possibility of its infection. In the process of processing it in a centrifuge, 3 ml of enrichedplasma platelets.
It is injected directly into the problem area. Many recommend an ultrasound-guided injection in order to get directly into the damaged tissue. It is also important to understand that enriched plasma cannot be obtained from clotted blood. Indeed, during the formation of a clot, all platelets will remain in it, and an insignificant amount of them will remain in the serum. Therefore, a special anticoagulant is used to keep the blood in a liquid state.
Enriched Plasma
Using this method was a breakthrough. But to use it, you need to understand what platelet-rich plasma is. Normally, the concentration of these plates in the blood is from 150 to 350 x 109/l. On average, each person has about 200 of them. But experts have found that in order to achieve a therapeutic effect, it is necessary that their concentration reaches 1000 x 109/l.
When the content of these plates reaches the specified level, the human blood plasma is considered enriched. At lower concentrations, no therapeutic effect was observed. But it has also not been proven that exceeding the dosage set at 1000 x 109/l does not lead to an acceleration of recovery processes.
Growth Factors
Injections of blood that is rich in platelets have a marked therapeutic effect. They increase the concentration of growth factors. Specialistsallocate 4 indicators.
Thus, there are growth factors of vascular endothelium, epithelium, as well as transforming and platelet. They are always in certain proportions to each other. But it must be understood that enriched plasma contains adhesive molecules necessary for attaching plates to subendothelial cells. But it contains the same number of them as in an ordinary clot. Therefore, such plasma and blood serum do not become fibrin glue.
It is also important to understand that it does not have an osteoinductive effect. Rich plasma cannot form bone without the presence of the appropriate cells. She might just make them grow faster.
Operation principle
Platelet-rich plasma has a stimulating effect. It contributes to the fact that the growth of blood vessels, the so-called angiogenesis, is accelerated. It also stimulates mitosis of cells involved in regeneration processes. But such plasma cannot improve non-cellular bone materials.
To achieve the effect, activation must be carried out immediately before the injection. After all, the secretion of 70% of growth factors passes during the first 10 minutes. All of them are released within an hour. But even after that, platelets continue to synthesize them for about 8 more days, and only after the specified period they die.
Growth factors contribute to the normalization of hemodynamics, tissue respiration and metabolism in them.
Contraindications
Unfortunately, there are situations in which it is not recommendeddo injections. Thus, the method is contraindicated in patients with malignant neoplasms, serious mental problems, systemic blood diseases. Also, before the procedure, it is important to clarify whether the patient is allergic to sodium citrate. This anticoagulant is used to prevent blood clotting.
It is also worth familiarizing yourself with the technology of the procedure in the selected clinic. For example, activation of platelet aggregation requires the use of special systems. Some of them use bovine thrombin as a clotting factor. It is impossible to exclude situations in which blood plasma antibodies to it can be developed. This happens, of course, extremely rarely, but it can lead to serious complications. Other systems have now been developed using other folding agents. For example, it would be safer to use the so-called fibrin matrix or type II collagen.
Dental use
There are several options for how platelet-rich plasma can be used. So, with its help, you can stop the progression of periodontitis, strengthen periodontal tissues, prevent tooth loss and loosening. Plasma also helps to relieve bleeding gums and eliminate bad breath. In addition, it is used in implantology and for rehabilitation after maxillofacial operations.
Indications for the use of this technology are as follows:
- localized and generalized periodontitis;
- periodontitis;
- gingivitis;
- peri-implantitis;
- tooth extraction, implantation.
The therapeutic effect is already visible in about a week after using this technology. The composition of platelet-rich plasma allows you to stop inflammation and reduce pain, increase the chances of implant engraftment, improve tissue healing after surgical interventions, and reduce gum bleeding.
Sports Medicine
Quite often, platelet-rich plasma is used to treat and speed up the recovery period after injuries. Many sports doctors opt for this type of therapy.
Thus, if necessary, plasma can be injected into the damaged muscle, into the tendon sheath (after repair of its rupture) or directly into the joint. Each of these injections contributes to the fact that the processes of tissue regeneration are launched, the stimulation of the synthesis of the necessary components to restore their structure begins. This method has become the best alternative to the introduction of hormonal drugs.
