Musculoskeletal Injury

Musculoskeletal injuries affect muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and related soft tissues. They may occur suddenly, such as after a fall or sports injury, or develop gradually through repetitive strain, overuse, or age-related changes. The type and severity of injury, activity demands, symptoms, imaging findings, and overall health help guide evaluation and treatment.

Common Examples and Symptoms

Common examples include:

Symptoms may include pain, swelling, stiffness, weakness, reduced range of motion, instability, or difficulty returning to work, exercise, or sport.

Treatment depends on the tissue involved, severity of injury, symptoms, and functional goals. Initial care often aims to reduce pain, restore mobility and strength, and support a safe return to activity.

Standard Treatment Categories

• Rest, ice, compression, elevation, and activity modification when appropriate
• Physical therapy, strengthening, mobility work, and biomechanical correction
• Short-term anti-inflammatory or pain-relief medicines when appropriate
• Bracing, splinting, or assistive devices for selected injuries
• Corticosteroid or other injections for selected conditions and short-term symptom relief
• Surgery for complete tears, significant structural damage, or symptoms that do not respond to appropriate nonsurgical care

Regenerative medicine for musculoskeletal injuries and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy are being studied as injectable biologic approaches for selected tendon, muscle, ligament, and joint conditions. Researchers are evaluating different products, preparation methods, injection techniques, rehabilitation plans, and patient groups.

What Researchers Are Studying

• Influence inflammation and cellular signaling in injured tissue
• Be delivered safely and feasibly for selected musculoskeletal conditions
• Improve pain, function, strength, range of motion, or other patient-reported outcomes
• Be further evaluated alongside rehabilitation and other established treatments

PRP, cell-based products, and other biologic approaches are distinct. Study results can vary by diagnosis, injury severity, chronicity, product preparation, injection technique, rehabilitation plan, and the outcomes measured.

Note: PRP and stem cell therapies for musculoskeletal injuries are investigational and are not FDA-approved for these uses. Research findings do not guarantee individual results.

How Regenerative Medicine for Musculoskeletal Injuries Is Being Studied

Researchers are studying biologic approaches for specific tendon, muscle, ligament, and joint injuries. Studies assess pain, function, strength, range of motion, imaging findings, return to activity, and safety. This work is helping identify the products, delivery methods, and patient groups that warrant continued clinical study. Regenerative treatment for musculoskeletal injuries remains investigational.

2025: PRP Reported Faster Return to Play and Higher MRI Healing Rates for Grade 2 Hamstring Injuries

Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Grade 2 Hamstring Muscle Injuries: Randomized Controlled Trial — Read Study

This randomized controlled trial included 60 athletes with grade 2 hamstring muscle injuries who received PRP plus rehabilitation or rehabilitation alone. Athletes in the PRP group returned to play an average of about eight days sooner than those who received rehabilitation alone, 26.4 days compared with 34.2 days. MRI evidence of healing at 21 days was also more common in the PRP group, 70% compared with 36.7%, and no adverse events were reported. Together, the faster return to play, higher MRI healing rate, and favorable safety findings provide encouraging, injury-specific evidence supporting continued study of PRP combined with rehabilitation for grade 2 hamstring injuries.

2025: PRP Reported Improved Clinical and Functional Outcomes for Tennis Elbow

Platelet-Rich Plasma Provides Superior Clinical Outcomes Without Radiologic Differences in Lateral Epicondylitis: Randomized Controlled Trial — Read Study

This randomized study compared PRP, corticosteroid, and saline injections for lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow. The study initially enrolled 50 patients, with 36 patients remaining for the final analysis. PRP produced favorable clinical and functional outcomes at three and six months and outperformed the other groups on measures of arm function, although ultrasound measures did not show significant differences among the treatment groups. Despite the loss of participants during follow-up, the improvements in patient-reported outcomes provide encouraging comparative evidence supporting continued study of PRP for chronic lateral epicondylitis.

2021: PRP Reported Continued Pain and Function Improvements for Partial Supraspinatus Tears

Comparison of a Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection and a Conventional Steroid Injection for Pain Relief and Functional Improvement of Partial Supraspinatus Tears — Read Study

This randomized controlled trial enrolled 32 people with partial supraspinatus tears to receive either an ultrasound-guided leukocyte-poor PRP injection or a corticosteroid injection. Both groups improved at one month, with no significant difference between treatments. At six months, however, the PRP group had better pain and shoulder-function scores than the corticosteroid group and showed continued improvement between one and six months, with no complications reported in either group. Together, the sustained pain and shoulder-function improvements and favorable safety findings provide encouraging comparative evidence supporting continued study of PRP for partial rotator cuff tendon tears.