The PM&R Journal recently published their findings and guidance on PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) for knee osteoarthritis. These findings shed new light on one of the key factors the team at The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine has known for years: that a sufficient platelet count is vital to the success of any regenerative medicine procedure. This data was published in a recent issue of PM&R, The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation, a publication of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
What The Data from The PM&R Journal Says About PRP Procedures for Knee Pain Treatment
There were two main takeaways from this paper, both of which further cement our approach to regenerative medicine procedures in our clinic. These key takeaways include:
- Platelet count – Based on this PM&R study, one of the main determinants of success with PRP treatment for knee osteoarthritis was a sufficient platelet count. In fact, the study reports that the best chance of a positive outcome was observed with procedures in which at least 10 billion platelets were injected back into the target area.
- Image guidance – Another key determinant in this study centered around the superior effectiveness of image-guided PRP injections. This study continues to underscore the importance of imaging to ensure PRP is injected into the correct tissue to maximize the chance of a positive outcome.
The Center for Regenerative Medicine Has Been Focused on Platelet Count and Image Guided Injections for Years
This journal article confirms previously published data and evidence from data registries. At The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine, we have always been on the cutting edge, using the latest techniques and the highest-quality orthobiologics to ensure our patients have the best chance of a positive outcome from a PRP procedure. While these findings are important in that they are bringing additional visibility to the field of regenerative medicine, they are nothing new for our team. In fact, we have focused on the importance of dosage size and quality as well as the importance of image-guided injections since we started our regenerative medicine clinic in Rochester.
The team at The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine is happy to report that we use more than 10 billion platelets in our PRP procedures to treat knee osteoarthritis, as cited in this journal article, and for other musculoskeletal procedures as well. Furthermore, we have been using 10 billion+ platelets in our PRP procedures for at least the past 5 years. Our team of Board-Certified doctors long ago recognized the value of high-quality, high-volume platelet counts, which is why our internal data continues to show positive outcomes for the majority of our regenerative medicine procedures.
Additionally, we use image guidance for all our PRP procedures, and our physicians have extensive training in a branch of medicine called fluoroscopy, which involves image-guided injections. This additional training that our physicians have received requires countless hours of intensive instruction to ensure injections are always placed using the highest-quality imaging possible.
Our Own Internal DataBiologics Data Tells the Story of Success for Many of Our Patients
While it is always good news to hear that a medical journal is publishing findings that support our work, we have long known these key facts from our own internal data. We have partnered with DataBiologics for several years to create an anonymized patient database that tracks patient outcomes not only within our clinic but also across other clinics nationwide. Our data continues to show that our PRP treatment processes, which include high platelet counts achieved through image-guided injections, provide the best chance of a positive outcome. While this study from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation focused on patients with knee osteoarthritis, our data shows the same findings in other patients who have participated anonymously in our own DataBiologics registry.
Does Your Physician Quantify Their PRP to Assure That You’re Getting The Correct Dose Which Has Been Shown to Dictate Positive Outcomes? Does Your Physician Use Image Guidance?
These questions are key to ensure you have the best chance for a positive outcome from a regenerative medicine procedure. At The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine we never shy away from these questions because we know our methods are sound and we’re glad that medical journals are beginning to take note of these findings which we’ve been confident of from the infinancy of our practice. If you’d like to learn mroe about our clinic or if you’re simply looking for a second opinion, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today by phone at (216) 216-1008 to schedule a consultation with a Board-Certified member of our physician-led team.