PRP (platelet rich plasma) method involves taking the patient's own blood, concentrating the platelet cells and using them for treatment purposes. PRP is used in hip and all joint calcifications, especially knee calcification, shoulder tendon ruptures, local cartilage injuries in the ankle and other joints, ligament and tendon injuries, and soft tissue rheumatism such as tendinitis, bursitis, medial and lateral epicondylitis (golfer's elbow, tennis elbow). is used. It is also frequently used in aesthetic clinics for facial rejuvenation and hair loss.
Although PRP is used extensively, some issues are not emphasized enough. In my own clinical practice, I hear the phrase "sir, I had PRP applied to my knees, but it did not work at all" very often. There may be many reasons for this situation. The first is PRP preparation kits. The ability to prepare PRP, that is, the presence of the desired amount of platelet cells in the PRP liquid, depends on the kit used and the optimal centrifuge device specific to this kit. The kit used may be inadequate. As a matter of fact, inspections have been carried out by the Ministry of Health for the last year and many PRP kits on the market have not been approved by the Ministry of Health. Unfortunately, I can say that what was done was not PRP. Additionally, an important point that is not subject to inspection is the use of a kit-specific centrifuge device. If the centrifuge device is not specific to the kit used, the prepared PRP will not have sufficient treatment effectiveness.
Another factor that directly affects the effectiveness of PRP treatment is the application method of PRP. No matter how ideally PRP is prepared, it will be ineffective unless it is applied in the right place. Until 5-10 years ago, local injections were performed without the use of any auxiliary devices. But now we always use ultrasound imaging even for the simplest injections. Injection under ultrasound guidance can be made to the right point at rates approaching 90-95%. Otherwise, this rate remains at 50%.
Another important issue is the selection of patients to whom PRP will be applied. PRP is an ideal treatment for mild to moderate cases of arthritis. It may be considered in severe cases only if there is no other treatment option. In my clinical practice, I think that although there is very severe calcification, it can be improved with PRP treatment. I encounter the sickest patients. Unfortunately, there is no option other than surgery for these patients. In cases where surgery cannot be performed, cortisone injection can sometimes be tried.
It is unlikely that a PRP injection, prepared with an ideal kit and applied to the right spot with the help of ultrasound, to a suitable patient, will not be effective unless there are some special conditions caused by the patient or the disease. PRP treatment must be supported by protective-auxiliary measures such as exercise. In this way, long-term well-being can be achieved with PRP treatment.
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