Platelet-Rich Plasma for Tendonitis

Tendonitis is a painful inflammation of the tendons, or connective tissues, that join muscle to bone. Sudden increases in exercise and activity, or long periods of repetitive motion and overuse, can cause tiny ruptures to develop in a tendon. The tendon eventually swells and becomes painfully inflamed. Injections of platelet-rich plasma---a blood product created from the patient's own blood---into the site of inflammation is often used to speed healing.

Common Sites for Tendonitis

• Avid baseball players can experience tendonitis in the shoulder.

  Shoulders, feet, knees, calves, elbows and wrists are frequent sites of tendonitis. Athletes can develop tendonitis of the shoulder from overuse during sports such as baseball; tennis players can develop tendonitis in the elbow. Office workers, on the other hand, may develop tendonitis in the wrists from long hours at a computer keyboard.

Platelet-Rich Plasma

• Substances in the blood can naturally speed tendon healing.

  Red blood cells supply organs throughout the body with essential oxygen. The remaining ingredients in blood: white blood cells, plasma and platelets are essential for fighting off infection and promoting bodily health and healing. Blood platelets contain bioactive proteins, including growth factors, essential for the repair and regeneration of injured tendons and other soft tissues.

History

• Platelet-rich plasma first began to be used in medical treatment in the 1970s, but its use was largely confined to hospitals. Recent technological advances make the procedure available in outpatient settings, such as walk-in clinics and physician offices. Use of platelet-rich plasma is an important part of the growing treatment approach known as orthobiologics, which uses technical and medical innovations to boost the body's natural ability to heal itself of musculoskeletal injuries.

Procedure Used

• Platelet-rich plasma is created from the patient's own blood.

  A small amount of a patient's blood is withdrawn with a needle and put through a 15-minute laboratory process called centrifugation. This separates out the red blood cells and increases the concentration of platelets and growth factors in the remaining plasma mixture by 500 percent. The platelet-rich plasma is injected into the injury site, where it can spur growth of new blood vessels and support the growth of new healthy cells to replace the tendon's old inflamed ones.

Its Place in the Treatment Plan

• Rehabilitative exercise can be an important addition to the treatment plan.

  Platelet-rich plasma therapy may be used in place of surgical procedures or in addition to them. Whether or not surgery is performed, other treatment modalities, such as cold or heat treatments, ultrasound and rehabilitation exercises are usually included in the overall treatment plan for patients receiving platelet-rich plasma. While responses to treatment vary, most patients require one to three injections spaced four to six weeks apart. Patients may safely receive as many injections as necessary.

Additional Benefits

• Platelet-rich plasma therapy can eliminate the need for long-term pain medication.

  Patients of any age can undergo the therapy. Because the plasma solution is manufactured from the individual's own blood, the procedure carries no risk of an adverse reaction from the recipient's immune system. Successful treatment can eliminate the need for long-term pain medication. Other soft tissue injuries treated with injections of platelet-rich plasma include muscle strains, muscle fibrosis and ligament sprains. It has also been used to treat joint injuries, including chronic inflammation, cartilage defects and injuries to the meniscus in the knee.