Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Insight into the Need for Platelet Rich Plasma

The Need for Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma, commonly known as PRP, is a type of blood plasma that contains platelets in a larger quantity compared to the normal blood plasma found in humans. It is prepared in a laboratory using human blood. The PRP for every patient is prepared separately using his own blood. Blood is taken from the patient and the platelets are then separated from the other components of the blood. The platelet concentration is enhanced with the help of centrifugation.

PRP is prepared to be used in numerous medical treatments. As platelets are associated with the blood clotting process and prevent severe blood loss in humans, they are considered imperative for treating conditions where the patient is expected to die due to blood loss.

In addition to that, platelets are also well known for their healing properties and are rich in growth factors that help muscles and tissue to heal after they have suffered a harsh injury. Similarly, the platelet rich plasma also contains a variety of useful growth factors that speed up the healing process of bones, muscles and different organs.

The growth factors found in PRP are fibroblast growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor, connective tissue growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin-like growth factor 2, vascular endothelial growth factor and Interleukin 8.

Some Conditions that Are Treated Using Platelet Rich Plasma

Though a number of conditions and disorders are treated using Platelet Rich Plasma, some of the most commonly practiced are:

•    Acute Muscle and Ligament Injuries: PRP is widely used to treat sports injuries suffered by basketball players, cricketers, football players and other sportsmen. These injuries include pulled hamstring muscles or knee and ankle sprains.

•    Chronic Tendon Injuries: PRP is effective in treating severe tendon injuries including tennis elbow in which tendons located on the elbow’s outside become ruptured. Platelet Rich Plasma is now also being used for treating other tendon injuries including chronic Achilles tendonitis and jumper’s knee.

•    Nerve Injury: PRP is used to cure several types of nerve injuries including Neurapraxia.

•    Cardiac Muscle Injury: If the cardiac muscle found in the heart is injured, there is a huge risk that your heart might stop working properly and you can go into cardiac arrest. PRP is one of the many cures for this condition and is considered to be effective in curing it.

Apart from these conditions, PRP is used for curing osteoarthritis, tendinitis and its usage in plastic surgery is increasing with the passage of time as well. The success of the PRP treatment depends on the physical condition of the patient, his disorder, the area that is being treated using PRP and whether his injury is a minor one or a major one. If a patient has unfortunately reached the last stage of a particular condition, it can be difficult to cure him permanently using PRP.

However, Platelet Rich Plasma is undoubtedly one of the best and most efficient means of treating the above-mentioned conditions.

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