What is PRP?

PRP is a type of orthobiologic treatment that utilizes the body's own natural healing abilities to accelerate and augment healing after an orthopedic injury or condition.  PRP is obtained from your own blood through a standard blood draw, and is then processed to concentrate platelets and growth factors that enhance healing and reduce inflammation. Platelets are bundles of proteins that have been shown to augment healing of degrading or injured tissues.

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PRP injections are safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment option for patients with certain orthopedic conditions such as injured ligaments, tendons, muscles, or arthritis. PRP may be injected directly into the damaged tissue in the office or during surgery to augment healing and recovery.

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Specifically, PRP is a component of the blood that contains a high concentration of platelets which naturally move toward an injured in area and release growth factors to help healing.  These growth factors help stimulate cellular growth and accelerated healing.  By injecting only the platelet rich portion of the blood which contains growth factors, it is thought that this may help with the healing process and alleviate pain

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What is the science behind PRP treatments?

PRP is the portion of blood plasma with a high concentration of platelets. Platelets are a specialized type of cell involved in healing and contains large amounts of natural growth factors that are essential for cell recruitment and proliferation in wound/injury healing.

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Some of the different cytokines contained in PRP injections are:

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• Mitogenic (growth) factors

  • Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-?)

• Angiogenic growth factor (which helps promote blood flow and recruitment)

  • Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-?1)

• Anti-inflammatory proteins

  • Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP)

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Which conditions are Treated with PRP?​

PRP may be a good treatment option for patients who have not experienced an improvement in symptoms after non-surgical treatment such as physical therapy, modified activities, and medication, and are searching for an alternative to surgery.

Dr. Kandil utilizes PRP injections for a number of orthopedic injuries and conditions, including:

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• Knee

  • Mild to moderate arthritis

  • Partial Ligament injuries

  • Meniscus tears

  • Patellar tendinopathy

  • and more

• Shoulder

  • Partial thickness rotator cuff tears

  • Rotator cuff tendinitis

  • Biceps tendonitis

  • Labral and SLAP tears

  • Shoulder instability

  • Arthritis

• Elbow

  • Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)

  • Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)

  • Arthritis

• Foot and Ankle

  • Achilles Tendinitis​

  • Plantar Fasciitis

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How much does PRP cost?

Total PRP cost with Dr. Kandil varies depending on injury severity, number of required injections, etc. Treatment regimens are based on the best available scientific evidence and usually consist of a series of 3 injections spaced 2 weeks apart.

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Since PRP injections are still considered experimental in the medical field, most insurance does not cover the procedure at this time. One exception is Tricare, which covers PRP for knee arthritis and tennis elbow. For all other patients and conditions, platelet rich plasma injections are cash pay only.

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How is a PRP injection performed?

PRP injections are done by first performing a simple blood draw from the patient. The patient’s blood is then spun down in a special machine to separate the platelet rich plasma layer of blood that is rich with growth factors from the rest of the blood. Once the platelet rich plasma is removed from the other structures, the plasma is injected directly into the damaged tissue or joint using ultrasound guidance

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Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are a safe and simple procedure done in the clinic office and take a total of about 30 minutes from start to finish

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Are PRP injections safe?

PRP injections are a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment option for patients with certain orthopedic conditions. Most patients have no adverse reaction to the injections, but reported side effects include localized joint pain and swelling, painful walking, and limited range of motion. However, these side effects typically resolve after a few days and no long-term negative side effects or risks have been reported. Any injection, including simple blood draws may increase the risk of bleeding or infection.

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Are PRP injections effective?

Dr. Kandil is a strong believer in evidence-based medicine and all treatment decisions are firmly rooted in the best available scientific evidence. Dr. Kandil is actively involved in PRP uses and research so patients should not be concerned they are receiving a treatment that is not necessary or beneficial to their overall healing. He follows a strict set of protocols to ensure a patient is an ideal candidate for PRP injections in order to eliminate any concerns about platelet rich plasma cost and outcome. Many patients find comfort in PRP cost after discussing the treatment option in great detail with Dr. Kandil.

 

Clinical research shows that the minimum level for the concentration of platelets necessary to achieve positive results from PRP injections is 5-7 times that of the blood platelet count. Studies done in head to head comparisons have repeatedly shown that inexpensive and inferior kits used by some physicians only produce 2-3 times the blood platelet concentrate. The kits used by Dr. Kandil and his orthopedic team are FDA approved and have been shown to produce at least 7-9 times concentrate of platelets.

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NEW BOOK CHAPTER BY DR. KANDIL! 

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS) ICL71 Textbook just came out in 2022 and Dr. Kandil wrote the section on the role of Injectable Biologics in Knee Arthritis: PRP and Stem Cells
 
Summary: "A large and growing number of well-designed studies in the literature support the notion that intra-articular injection of LP-PRP is a safe treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee. There is level I evidence demonstrating its ability to reduce pain symptoms and increase function in patients in whom knee osteoarthritis is diagnosed with sustained benefit lasting up to 12 months."

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Click here to read the book chapter

 

How do I know if I'm a good candidate for PRP?

Call (703) 665-2720 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kandil, or fill out this form online and we will call to schedule an appointment.