Peter J. Millett, M.D., M.Sc., orthopedic shoulder surgeon with the Steadman Clinic in Vail, CO, and Director of Shoulder Surgery at the Clinic, is known for his work with elite athletes and weekend warriors. He recently weighed in on the important topic of PRP research and bioloigic healing for Orthopedics This Week.
While researchers agree that the science behind PRP offers a natural healing process for biologically compromised tissues, there are also valid obstacles in research and application at the clinical level. Platelets are tiny cells found in the blood that contain rich growth factors that influence the healing of tissue. Platelet rich plasma is made from one’s own blood by withdrawing the blood and separating the white and red blood cells, and platelets from the serum (the clear liquid contained in blood). PRP has been proven to have effective healing properties for joint, muscle, and tissue injuries that do not respond to conventional treatment, and studies have shown that it stimulates and promotes bone regeneration.
According to Dr. Millett, “The use of biologics to enhance healing—and the explosion of media attention—is certainly very exciting, but it is also getting us to the point where some of our patient-athletes are pressuring us to use the treatment…despite the lack of scientific evidence of its efficacy. This has led to an explosion of patient expectations and inquiries, something that has left orthopedic surgeons in a difficult spot. Insurance companies are reluctant to approve or pay for the use of biologics. Some physicians are doing it anyway and are just charging patients for the treatment. But in many cases the treatments remain what I consider to be experimental.”
See more of what Dr. Millett has to say about the advancement and use of PRP: Off and On the Record: Biologics Discussion
