Platelet-rich plasma in sports medicine: hot favourite or non-starter?

In the field of sports injury, musculoskeletal injuries require prompt treatment to allow a quick return to the pre-injury level of function. Ideally, any given treatment should, among other factors, be minimally invasive and highly effective, with minimal side effects. One emerging strategy to accelerate tissue healing is the use of platelet rich plasma. Platelet-rich plasma has been used in clinical practice since the 1980s, in dentistry, maxillofacial surgery and dermatology (Margolis et al, 2001). The treatment developed because platelet-rich plasma is seen as a preparation of growth factors which facilitate rapid healing of damaged tissue. There have been wide variations in agreeing a definition of platelet-rich plasma.