Sports injuries are very common. Everyone, not only
professional athletes can be at risk for a bone fracture. These injuries often
happen when too much force is applied to the bone, usually during a fall or an
accident. The result is either a partial or completely broken bone.
The
treatment for bone fractures often involves immobilization with a cast, splint,
or even traction to help in healing. The goal is to put the bones back into place
and prevent them from moving until they heal.
Healing can take at least 6 weeks. It may take even longer
for the ligaments and tendons to heal.
Although most patients can return to normal activities in around 3 to 4
months, studies have shown that recovery can take up to 2 years such as in
ankle fractures.
Platelet-rich plasma or PRP has been used for bone fracture
healing and bone-graft healing. Research
in the field of PRP suggest that platelet rich plasma treatment may speed up
recovery of fractures and also increases the ability of the bones to withstand stress.
By Electron Microscopy Facility at The National Cancer Institute at Frederick (NCI-Frederick) ([1]) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons
PRP works by stimulating the natural healing processes in
the body. Doctors treat patients using
cells from the patient’s own body. This
is especially helpful in trying to heal bone fractures while avoiding the long
process of recovery.
It is a simple concept that involves a standard blood draw
and concentrating them to extract the platelets. This is then injected into the
site. This way, the patient’s own growth factors that normally circulate in the
blood can then be placed where they need to be to stimulate the natural healing
response.
Often, the healing time is limited by how quickly the tissue
can heal. Platelet-rich plasma therapy
can provide the much-needed jumpstart in the process of healing. A study on the
effects of PRP on the healing of fractures was done by Guzel Y, Karalezli N,
Doral MN, et al PMID: 24170188. Although
the study has yet to be done on humans, it has shown promising results on rats.
The results demonstrated the ameliorative biochemical effects of PRP on
fracture healing, in addition to accelerating the histological union of
fractures. Their conclusion was that PRP could be a viable alternative to
accelerate the healing of fractures, late unions, or non-unions.
Studies have shown platelet rich plasma therapy to be
effective at relieving pain and returning patients back to their normal
activities. Ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue repair after
PRP therapy, confirming the process of healing.
