No fluff. No fads. Deep-dive investigative reports from the surgeon who actually sees the inside of the joints.
Every week a patient shows up asking for PRP because their favorite pro athlete got it. That's a fine reason to ask — but it is not a treatment plan. Here is the honest version: what PRP is, what it does well, where it disappoints, and how to tell a legitimate protocol from marketing.
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. We draw your blood, spin it in a centrifuge, and concentrate the platelets 3× to 7× above baseline. Platelets are not just clotting cells — they carry growth factors (PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, IGF-1) that orchestrate tissue repair.
That last vial — the small volume of straw-colored fluid with a concentrated platelet layer — is what gets injected into your tendon, cartilage surface, or ligament.
30–60 mL of your blood is drawn into a specialized kit with anticoagulant. Takes five minutes.
Centrifuge runs 8–15 minutes. Density gradient separates red cells, buffy coat, and plasma.
The platelet-rich layer is pulled into a sterile syringe. Cell count is verified on the bench.
Ultrasound-guided injection into the exact target — tendon sheath, joint space, or ligament insertion.
Patients often ask "isn't this just another shot?" They are fundamentally different tools. Here is the six-month durability picture from the best available pooled data for mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis:
Anti-inflammatory
Pro-healing signal
For full-thickness cartilage defects, PRP is a bridge — not a build. The actual rebuild tools are covered in our MACI and allograft breakdown.
Injection. Short, sharp ache.
Relative rest. No NSAIDs — they blunt the signal.
Structured return to loading. First symptom shift.
Full training. Peak benefit measured at 3 months.
Benefit assessed. Re-dose if indicated.
Usually not. It is classified as "investigational" by most payers despite the strong evidence for specific indications. Expect out-of-pocket; ask for the itemized cost up front.
For knee OA, the data favors a series of 2–3 injections spaced 1–3 weeks apart. For tendinopathy, one well-placed injection is often enough.
Yes — PRP is sometimes layered onto meniscus repair, rotator cuff repair, or MACI to accelerate the healing window. See the meniscus guide for how we use it in repairs.
No. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) and adipose-derived preparations are a different category with different evidence. PRP is the most studied by a wide margin.
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Take the first step toward recovery. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Elguizaoui to discuss your condition and explore your treatment options.