Jul 2, 2009 4:19 pm US/Eastern
Doctors Using Patient's Blood To Heal Injury
DENVER (AP) ―
An injury like tennis elbow or tendonitis in the knee can cause pain for months, and in some cases years. There are fewer blood vessels in these areas which slows the healing process. Now doctors are using a patients own blood to spur the body to heal these injuries on their own, CBS station KCNC-TV reports.
"We are fooling the body into healing itself," said Dr. Roger Nichols, radiologist and chief of staff at Boulder Community Hospital.
Platelets are most commonly known for their clotting factor, but in the case of
platelet rich plasma therapy, it's the growth factor in platelets that comes into play.
Doctors use just 2-3 tablespoons of blood. It's separated into different cell types and the platelet packed part is used for the therapy. Doctors inject it into the site of the injury using ultrasound technology to guide them to the right spot, KCNC-TV reported.
The presence of the platelets tells the body that there is acute injury and it sends the various cells needed for tissue repair.
"It's really great science," Nichols added.
This science has been used in animals for years, and it has been used on humans during some surgeries. But the treatment is just now becoming popular for sports injuries.
"There are studies coming up now validating it for human use," Nichols said.
Right now doctors are experimenting with PRP therapy in these injuries:
-
Tennis elbow
- Hamstring tendonopathy
- Patellar tendonopathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendonopathy
- Rotator cuff tendonopathy
One attractive aspect of this treatment is that it uses the patient's own blood which eliminates any risk of disease transmission or rejection. But it can take 1-2 months for the procedure to work and the patient to begin to feel less pain.
"It takes some time for the body to heal itself. It doesn't happen instantaneously," said Nichols.
Lea Peshock had an injury to her left elbow that her doctor diagnosed as tennis elbow. She lived with pain in that arm for 3 years.
"Every minute of everyday it was just a constant reminder," Peshock explained.
She tried physical therapy, a steroid shot, and acupuncture to get the pain to go away, but nothing worked. Then she had the PRP therapy at Boulder Community Hospital and that did the trick.
"It's been six months, a little more than six months and for the most part I don't even notice it anymore," Peshock said.
"It's really wonderful to see those people going back to what they used to do without any limitations," Nichols said.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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