Platelet-rich plasma in the management of rotator cuff tendinopathy

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood-derived product that has gained significant attention in the treatment of tendinopathies as one of many treatment modalities in the field of regenerative medicine. Rotator cuff pathologies are the leading cause of shoulder pain. Despite the high success rate with conservative treatment and arthroscopic surgical repair, the search for a nonsurgical treatment has made PRP a trending topic recently. The purpose of this article is to review the recent literature data on the possible role of PRP in different rotator cuff pathologies. The limited data in the literature about isolated tendinopathies without a tear (tendonitis and tendinosis) suggests potential benefit from conservative treatment with PRP. Many studies exist for the treatment of rotator cuff tears solely using PRP or as an augmentation to arthroscopic repair. Despite the large number of randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses about the topic, there is no consensus in favor of routine application of PRP in this patient population. The existing reliable evidence of benefit seems to be restricted to its use in only inflammatory tendinopathies with preserved tendon integrity.