A Comparison of Growth Factor and Platelet Concentrations Using Different Methods of Platelet Rich Plasma Separation

Musculoskeletal disorders are very common problems presented to general physicians. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Center of Health Statistics (NCHS), musculoskeletal injuries accounted for 33 percent of all cases in 2013. The data from a 2012 NCHS showed that at least half of adults (126.6 million) are affected by some type of musculoskeletal disorder, which is twice the rate of any chronic heart or lung condition. The treatments for musculoskeletal injuries include weight loss, physiotherapy, simple analgesics, alternative therapies, steroid injections and surgeries. At Regenerative Medical Group, musculoskeletal disorders are most often treated through platelet-rich plasma therapy, which uses autologous blood products. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a promising treatment that contains a high concentration of platelets, growth factors and bioactive proteins at supra-physiological levels in order to stimulate the healing of tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones. PRP has gained increasing popularity in the field of orthopedic and sports medicine as it has shown to clinically expedite the healing process of soft and hard tissues. Despite its prevalent use, the effectiveness of varying techniques of PRP preparation have yet to be evaluated. The main goal of PRP preparation is to maximize the concentration of platelets and growth factors three to five times over the baseline count. The aim of this study is to compare different PRP preparation techniques in order to accurately determine the best method that will maximize the concentration of platelets, growth factors and bioactive molecules