Standard Platelet Rich Plasma versus Regenexx-SCP

Standard Platelet Rich Plasma versus Regenexx-SCP:  Can we design a better platelet rich plasma? Yesterday I received this e-mail authored by a patient of Dr. Malanga’s of NJ Sports Medicine:

“My right ankle healed quickly. A week or two after the PRP, I stepped on a stone. In the past it would have caused a small sprain, but this time it didn’t. This has happened several times since.  

I slightly twisted my left ankle a day or two after the procedure, so it’s taken longer to heal, but it too seems more resilient.

 This is the longest I’ve gone without wearing an ankle brace in a year. I am super excited and very grateful to you for helping arrange this, to Dr. Malanga for learning the Regenexx PRP and administering it so gently, and to everyone at Regenexx for coming up with this awesome treatment. Other PRP treatments did nothing…”

So why would this woman, who didn’t respond to standard PRP, respond to the Regenexx-SCP procedure? First, to review, PRP means platelet rich plasma. This is a concentrated blood platelet injection which contains healing growth factors. This has become a very common orthopedic therapy for helping chronic injuries heal (like this woman’s unstable ankle). There are two main differences between standard PRP and SCP. To understand this comparison, think of PRP’s job as stimulating the local stem cells to work harder. Sort of like an espresso shot for those cells, which do the hard work of healing. As you know from personal experience, not all espresso shots are created equally. Having just returned from Italy, I can tell you that Italian shots definitely have more kick than Starbucks! In the same way, our lab studies have shown that standard PRP likely has too many contaminating white and red blood bells, which stem cells don’t seem to like. SCP has very few of these, so SCP seems to boost stem cells. To get back to our espresso example, you know that having a 3 shot cappuccino has alot more kick than the 1 shot version. The same holds true for PRP. Most standard PRP comes out of a little bedside centrifuge with a concentration of platelets of about 3X (3 times more than normal). SCP can easily be concentrated all the way up to 20X! Our research has shown that exposing stem cells to high concentrations of SCP makes them work harder, just like a triple shot latte has more kick than a single shot. The upshot? Standard PRP wasn’t designed from the ground up to make your stem cells do their best to heal. Our lab data has allowed us to design SCP to make stem cells act like they just had an Italian triple shot! Tre cappuccini per favore?

NOTE:  Regenexx-SCP is a medical procedure and like all medical procedures has a success and failure rate.  Not all Regenexx-SCP patients experience the same results.

Learn More About Regenexx® Procedures
Request a digital booklet and more information to learn about alternatives to orthopedic surgery and the Regenexx patient experience.
We do not sell, or share your information to third party vendors. By submitting the form you agree that you've read and consent to our Privacy Policy.
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

If you have questions or comments about this blog post, please email us at [email protected]

NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

TO TOP