Platelet-rich plasma injection efficacy in tendinopathy in adult patients : a critically appraised topic

Tendinopathy is any injury to a tendon. With an injury to the tendon sheath or tendon, the injury response phase is activated, which is mediated by growth factors. A growth factor is a physiological component of plasma in the blood. These factors bind and signal for proteins to regulate cellular processes to aid in the healing of tissue. With this understanding of how growth factors in blood platelets aid in the healing process, a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection has been developed. In a PRP injection, the increase in platelet concentration is thought to promote cell proliferation in patients suffering from chronic tendon pathologies. After developing a clinical question, I attempt to answer it by analyzing four recent studies.