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Platelet-rich plasma improved patellar tendon healing
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Insertion of platelet-rich plasma gel to patellar tendon harvest sites improved healing and reduced postoperative pain in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a recent study.
Researchers randomly assigned 27 participants to two groups: those who received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) (n=12) and controls who did not receive PRP (n=15) in patellar tendon graft sites used for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Healing in the patellar tendon gap area was assessed by MRI after 6 months, and questionnaires and isokinetic testing of ACL reconstruction were completed and compared between both groups.
At 6 months postsurgery, investigators observed that the patellar tendon gap area was significantly smaller in the PRP group (4.9 ± 5.3mm²; 95% CI, 1.1-8.8) compared with the control group (9.4 ± 4.4mm²; 95% CI, 6.6-12.2). They also noted no difference between the groups when assessing tendon thickness and length, and there were no adverse effects reported.
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Visual analog score for pain also was lower in the PRP group directly after surgery (3.8 ± 1.0; 95% CI, 3.18-4.49) than in controls (5.1 ± 1.4; 95% CI, 4.24-5.9). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups after 6 months in either the questionnaires or isokinetic testing.
“PRP had a positive effect on patellar tendon harvest site healing on MRI after 6 months,” the researchers concluded. “Platelet-rich plasma also reduced pain in the immediate postoperative period.”
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