Philadelphia, PA(November 19, 2010) — The first American study that positions Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) as a viable means in managing knee osteoarthritis, appeared today in the December issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AJPMR). The study, authored by Dr. Steven Sampson of the Orthohealing Center in Los Angeles, details the account of 14 patients with primary and secondary knee osteoarthritis receiving three platelet-rich plasma injections in the affected knee at 4-week intervals with one year follow up. The study demonstrated significant and almost linear improvements in pain and function with majority of the patients expressing favorable outcomes at 12-months after the PRP treatment. The American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.
“PRP is no longer a treatment that only benefits high-profile athletes,” states Dr. Sampson, “The positive effects of this therapy are quickly spreading into many areas of mainstream medicine.” Dr. Sampson further explains, “This pilot study sets the foundation for a large multi-center clinical trial to further demonstrate if PRP is safe and effective for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.” Dr. Sampson adds, “We are facing an epidemic with patients suffering from arthritis at earlier ages. Unfortunately most conservative options are limited and address the symptoms of inflammation, rather than address the biochemical process of the disease.”
PRP is a non-surgical healing treatment used in many fields including plastic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and dentistry. Blood is made up of primarily red and white blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Each of these components has a specific role, for example white blood cells fight off infection. Platelets are known to release powerful healing proteins called “growth factors” that coordinate repair and regeneration of soft tissue. By spinning the blood in a machine called a centrifuge, doctors are able to isolate out the platelets, increasing their concentration up to 1000%. Then these growth factors are injected under ultrasound guidance directly into the injury to stimulate healing. Using cutting edge technology, doctors are able to guide the platelets within a millimeter of the target site for maximal benefit. Based on current research, soft tissue injuries are the most responsive to PRP. This includes tendon and ligament injuries, and muscle tears. Because of a growing need for non-surgical treatments for arthritis, PRP has been applied to osteoarthritis of joints throughout the body.
The implications from this study invite the need for a large scale research effort to further position PRP as a strong candidate in managing osteoarthritis.
About The Orthohealing Center
The Orthohealing Center is a comprehensive Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation facility specializing in non-surgical orthopedics and sports medicine. Our treatment focus enhances the body’s natural ability to heal itself by combining time-tested treatments with state of the art technology. The foundation of the Orthohealing Center is based on progressive and minimally invasive treatments, providing alternatives to surgery. The highly trained and skilled staff at the Orthohealing Center provides patients with the most advanced conservative orthopedic treatment options available. The Orthohealing Center is a renowned research and training facility, frequently visited by physicians from around the world. For more information, please visit www.orthohealing.com.
About American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AJPMR)
AJPMR is the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) and focuses on the practice, research and educational aspects of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Monthly issues keep physiatrists up-to-date on the optimal functional restoration of patients with disabilities, physical treatment of neuromuscular impairments, the development of new rehabilitative technologies, and the use of electrodiagnostic studies. AJPMR publishes cutting-edge basic and clinical research, clinical case reports and in-depth topical reviews of interest to rehabilitation professionals. The journal also provides CME credits in each issue. For more information please visit www.ajpmr.com.
About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health , a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
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