Home › Blog › Platelet Rich Plasma Delays Knee Arthritis Progression In Mild to Moderate Athritis

A study just published on-line shows promise for platelet rich plasma used to help knee arthritis sufferers. The study, which was conducted at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, reduced knee arthritis progression in 73% of a small group of patients tested. Knee arthritis is a progressive disease where the patient can expect to lose about 5% of their cartilage volume per year. In this study, blood was taken and the platelets from the blood separated and then concentrated. These platelets contain healing growth factors which have the potential to help arthritis. These were then re-injected into the knee. After 1 year, about 3 in 4 patients showed no progression of arthritis as well as improvements in pain and function.  From that we can conclude that platelet rich plasma delays knee arthritis.  Is there a way to maximize PRP? Our SCP procedure (Super Concentrated Platelets) can concentrate these healing platelets many more times than what can be accomplished via the bedside centrifuges used by almost all clinics providing PRP. SCP also has less of the red and white blood cell contaminants usually found in PRP that’s made in these bedside machines. The upshot? This is a very encouraging study for PRP and the orthobiologics community!

Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile