PRP use in the Shoulder

Introduction

Different techniques for incorporating platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into a rotator cuff repair, such as direct injection and suture fixation, are described as well as other variations that may be used. There is still a significant amount of clinical research that needs to be performed regarding the routine use of PRP and to delineate which method, if any, seems to provide the best delivery of growth factors to the site of interest.

The use of PRP has been a topic of recent interest in the orthopedic community. PRP has been used successfully in other fields of medicine such as plastic surgery and maxillofacial surgery before its use in musculoskeletal care. In addition, there have been numerous basic science publications studying the effect of PRP on the healing cascade. However, at the time of this publication, there have been very few trials involving the results of PRP use in the clinical setting. Most have been limited to basic case series or case reports. The goal of this article is to provide a basic review of the rationale and techniques of using PRP in the shoulder. In addition, we would like to describe methods that can be used by the practitioner both in the operative and nonoperative treatment of shoulder pathology.

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