PRP Treatment for Cartilage Tears

Additional therapeutic uses for platelet rich plasma (PRP) have come from research conducted in Bologna, Italy. PRP can be a safe and effective treatment for cartilage tears in athletes according to a study led by Elizaveta Kon, M.D. director of the Nano-Biotechnology Laboratory at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna.

“Using PRP therapy to repair cartilage is still relatively experimental, but studies like this show it’s not only safe but also offers a significant improvement in function and quality of life for patients, ” said Kon in the July 14 news release. “None of the patients treated experienced complications like infection, deep vein thrombosis or fever, ” she said.

For the study, researchers treated 180 patients for chronic pain or swelling of the knee with either PRP therapy or viscosupplementation, which is a more common hyaluronic acid-based treatment for cartilage damage. A total of 109 patients, who had an average age of 56, stayed with the study for a final evaluation. Both treatment groups demonstrated significant improvement based on higher post-treatment IKDC scores, which measure pain and basic function in follow-up interviews.

 “As athletic participation has grown, ” Kon noted, “new problems like cartilage lesions or tears continue to emerge. Finding the right approach to treatment is difficult, but PRP has emerged as a viable option according to our research.” Kon added that long-term follow-ups for PRP treatments are needed to further evaluate the overall effectiveness of the therapy for future patients.