[Platelets-rich plasma: a versatile tool for regenerative medicine?]

Platelet-rich plasma is a blood product concentrate obtained by centrifugation of whole blood that is characterized by a high concentration of platelets (4 to 6 times their normal values). The high concentration of trophic factors contained in the granules of platelets, have led to suggest that the application of platelet-rich plasma can help to stimulate or accelerate the repair or regeneration of a number of tissues. Since their first application in the treatment of skin ulcers in 1980, a considerable number of novel applications in different fields of medicine have emerged (Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Maxillofacial Surgery surgical wounds, musculoskeletal disorders, burns, Esthetic Surgery, repair of peripheral nerves, etc.), some of these applications with clearly positive or very promising results. Despite the large amount of experimental and clinical literature about the usefulness of platelet-rich plasma in different areas of regenerative medicine, there are few therapeutic indications in which it is fully demonstrated its effectiveness. This fact highlights the importance of carry out methodologically appropriate clinical trials in the near future, in order to improve the evidence level of platelet-rich plasma treatment. The purpose of this article is to perform an update and critical review about the biological basis of platelet-rich plasma, to review indications for which there is more scientific support on its use, and finally to describe their new indications that are currently under research.