Chapters authored
PRP Injections in Orthopaedic Surgery: Why, When and How to Use PRP Dynamic Liquid Scaffold Injections in Orthopaedic Surgery
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products can be described as any autologous blood platelet concentrate within a plasma suspension. PRP products include plasma and twofold or greater increases in platelet concentrations above baseline levels. The injection of activated PRP in its liquid formulation delivers growth factors locally and simultaneously mimics and amplifies the spontaneous healing response in injured areas and in special cell niches, which would otherwise be inaccessible. This in situ generated transient three-dimensional scaffold will gradually release growth factors and maintain their concentration at the site of the scaffold formation. The combination of liquid PRP with surgical techniques in orthopaedic surgery allows a wide range of therapeutic strategies in the management of injuries in the field of orthopaedics and sports medicine. The use of different therapeutic elements, including PRP as biological stimuli and rehabilitation and physiotherapy treatments as mechanical stimuli, provides extremely favourable synergies that will help fulfil the physician’s objective, to stop the progression of disease and to improve function in the shortest period of time
Part of the book: Plasma Medicine
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Injured Peripheral Nerves: Biological Repair Process and Clinical Application Guidelines
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a biological therapy that uses the patient’s own blood to obtain products with a higher platelet concentration than in blood. It provides a transient fibrin scaffold as a controlled drug delivery system of growth factors suitable for regenerative medicine. PRP has been used as medical strategy to treat diverse types of injuries in the field of orthopedics, including peripheral nerve lesions. In vitro and in vivo studies showed the neuroprotective, neurogenic and neuroinflammatory modulator effect of PRP. In addition, it has been demonstrated clinically that PRP infiltrations improve clinical symptoms and enhance the sensory and motor functional nerve muscle unit recovery. Potential effects of PRP could be applied in treatments for neuropathies, as conservative treatment by means of nerve ultrasound-guided infiltrations or as biological adjuvant during surgery.
Part of the book: Demystifying Polyneuropathy