Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Therapeutic peptides, short-chain amino acids, regulate cellular functions and are increasingly popular for orthopaedic injuries.
• The growing market and patient interest necessitate an understanding of the evidence behind these treatments among orthopaedic surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the evidence and applications of injectable peptide therapy in regenerative medicine and sports performance.
• To aid orthopaedic providers in understanding current therapeutic peptide approaches.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of the literature was performed.
• PubMed was searched for biochemical and clinical studies on popular injectable peptides, including BPC-157, TB-4, TB-500, CJC-1295 + ipamorelin, tesamorelin, and GHK-Cu.

Main Results:

• BPC-157 shows potential for tendon/muscle repair but lacks robust human data. TB-4/TB-500 show promise in preclinical models but lack orthopaedic evidence and are banned in sports.
• CJC-1295 + ipamorelin improved muscle strength in animal models. Tesamorelin has no orthopaedic evidence, and GHK-Cu lacks clinical data for musculoskeletal conditions.

Conclusions:

• Peptide therapy has potential, but current evidence for clinical orthopaedic use is lacking.
• Indications, dosing, and safety remain largely unknown, requiring further research before recommendations can be made.
• Orthopaedic and sports medicine providers must understand the limited evidence despite patient popularity.