PRP INJECTIONS

East Bay Orthopedics offers the highest quality PRP injections with the ability to vary the concentration based on pathology.

WHAT IS PRP?

Over the past few decades, much has been written about a preparation called platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its potential effectiveness in the treatment of injuries.

Studies have indicated different PRP concentrations for different problems. East Bay Orthopedics has the capacity to make both enriched and inflammation reduced PRP concentrations.

Although blood is mainly a liquid (called plasma), it also contains small solid components (red cells, white cells, and platelets). The platelets are best known for their importance in clotting blood. However, platelets also contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors that are very important in the healing of injuries.

PRP is plasma with many more platelets than what is typically found in blood. The concentration of platelets — and, thereby, the concentration of growth factors — can be 5 to 10 times greater (or richer) than usual.

To develop a PRP preparation, blood must first be drawn from a patient. The platelets are separated from other blood cells and their concentration is increased by spinning the blood down during a process called centrifugation. These platelets are then injected into the injured site.

Although it is not exactly clear how PRP works, laboratory studies have shown that the increased concentration of growth factors in PRP may potentially speed up the healing process.

To speed healing, the injury site is treated with the PRP preparation. This can be done in one of two ways:

  • PRP can be carefully injected into the injured area. For example, in Achilles tendinitis, a condition commonly seen in runners and tennis players, the heel cord can become swollen, inflamed, and painful. A mixture of PRP and local anesthetic can be injected directly into this inflamed tissue. Afterward the pain at the area of injection may actually increase for the first week or two, but these are the platelets and new growth factors beginning the healing process.  It is usually 2-6 weeks before benefits can be felt, but the goal is to restart the healing system of your body. 
  • PRP may also be used to improve healing after surgery for some injuries. For example, an athlete with a completely torn heel cord may require surgery to repair the tendon. Healing of the torn tendon can possibly be improved by treating the injured area with PRP during surgery. This can be done by preparing the PRP in a special way that allows it to actually be stitched into torn tissues.

Research studies are currently being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of PRP treatment. Recent research has shown that certain tendon problems can have improved outcomes with PRP injections. Additionally, more and more literature is showing the significant effectiveness of PRP in the treatment of mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Factors that can influence the effectiveness of PRP treatment include:

  • The area of the body being treated
  • The overall health of the patient
  • Whether the injury is acute (such as from a fall) or chronic (an injury developing over time)
  • The preparation of the PRP, including the cellular makeup of the material that is injected

According to research PRP is effective for chronic tendon injuries such as tennis elbow, achilles tendonitis, patellar and quad tendonitis and rotator cuff tendonitis.

Much of the publicity PRP therapy has received has been about the treatment of acute sports injuries, such as ligament and muscle injuries. PRP has been used to treat professional athletes with common sports injuries like pulled hamstring muscles in the thigh and knee sprains.

More recently, PRP has been used during certain types of surgery to help tissues heal. It was first thought to be beneficial in shoulder surgery to repair torn rotator cuff tendons. However, the results so far show little or no benefit when PRP is used in these types of surgical procedures. Recent research has been dedicated to the benefit of PRP in meniscus healing after meniscus repair; however, these studies are only in their infancy.

Surgery to repair torn knee ligaments, especially the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is another area where PRP has been applied. At this time, there appears to be little or no benefit from using PRP in this instance.

More and more literature is showing the effectiveness of PRP in treating low- to moderate-grade knee osteoarthritis. Some studies have shown that these results can last up to 2 years.

Please call to book a phone or in person consultation prior to PRP injections

  • PRP Leukocyte Rich Tendon Injections – $850
  • PRP Leukocyte Reduced Arthritis injections – $850
  • Any repeat injection $800

Our Address

East Bay Orthopaedic Trauma & Reconstruction
19842 Lake Chabot Rd, Suite B
Castro Valley, CA 94546

Contact Us

Dr. Michael Krosin,  Dr. Steven Zourabian & Dr. Virginia Lieu
Phone (510) 750-1967
Fax (844) 718-0067

Appointments

For immediate assistance during business hours:
Monday through Friday: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm,
please call 510 750 1967