ABSTRACT

Platelet rich-plasma (PRP) is an orthobiologic that has recently gained popularity as an adjuvant treatment for musculoskeletal injuries. It is being widely used in clinical practice with the aim of stimulating tissue repair. It is a volume of fractionated plasma from the patient’s own blood that contain platelet concentrate. The platelets contain α-granules that are rich in several growth factors, such as platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-β, insulin-like growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor which play key roles in tissue repair mechanism.

Currently PRP injections are being used in various applications, including orthopaedics, cardiovascular surgery, cosmetics, facio-maxillary surgery and urology. Available data suggest that PRP may be helpful in enhancing soft-tissue repair, particularly for tendon and wound healing. Additionally it could be considered as an effective procedure for facial rejuvenation. New research is required to optimize its preperation and use during surgery, to evaluate effectiveness of various techniques to improve healing.