PRP Therapy

Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is prepared from a person’s own blood. After a blood draw, the sample is processed to concentrate platelets, which contain signaling proteins involved in the body’s normal healing response. Researchers are studying PRP injections for a range of musculoskeletal conditions. The preparation method, platelet concentration, injection technique, rehabilitation plan, and condition being treated can differ across studies.

Common Uses and Symptoms

PRP research includes conditions such as:

Treatment depends on the condition, severity, activity demands, medical history, and goals. Established care may include rehabilitation, activity modification, medication, injections, or surgery when appropriate.

Standard Treatment Categories

• Physical therapy, rest, and activity modification
• Anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving medicines when appropriate
• Corticosteroid injections for selected conditions and short-term symptom relief
• Surgery for structural damage or symptoms that do not respond to appropriate nonsurgical care
• Condition-specific care, including rehabilitation and follow-up

PRP is being studied as an injectable biologic approach because platelets release signaling proteins that may influence inflammation, tissue repair processes, and the local tissue environment. Researchers are evaluating PRP for joint, tendon, muscle, and other conditions.

What Researchers Are Studying

• Be delivered safely and feasibly for selected conditions
• Influence inflammation and cellular signaling
• Improve pain, function, mobility, strength, or other patient-reported outcomes
• Be further evaluated alongside rehabilitation, corticosteroid injection, or other established treatments

PRP is distinct from cell-based products and other regenerative approaches. Results can vary by condition, PRP preparation method, injection technique, rehabilitation plan, and the outcomes measured.

Note: PRP therapies are investigational and are not FDA-approved for all uses. Research findings do not guarantee individual results.

How PRP Therapy Is Being Studied

Researchers are evaluating PRP across different conditions, including muscle injuries, tendinopathy, osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, and shoulder conditions. Studies assess pain, function, time to return to activity, imaging findings, and safety. This work is helping identify the products, delivery methods, and patient groups that warrant continued clinical study. PRP treatment remains investigational.

2025: PRP and Rehabilitation Reported Faster Return to Play 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 injuries who received either PRP plus rehabilitation or rehabilitation alone. Athletes in the PRP group returned to play an average of eight days sooner than those who received rehabilitation alone, 26 days compared with 34 days. MRI scans also showed evidence of healing in 70% of the PRP group compared with 37% of the rehabilitation-only group, and no adverse effects were reported.

2025: PRP Reported Longer-Term Pain Relief, Improved Function for Tennis Elbow

Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Corticosteroids for Lateral Epicondylitis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials — Read Study

This meta-analysis reviewed 26 randomized clinical trials involving 1,877 participants and compared PRP with corticosteroid injections for lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow. Corticosteroid injections provided better short-term pain relief, while PRP was associated with better pain and function outcomes after six months. The long-term difference in function was statistically significant but did not reach the threshold for clinical significance.

2024: Single PRP Injection Reported Sustained Pain Relief and Function Improvements in Knee Osteoarthritis

Long-Term Outcomes of Single PRP Injection in Knee Osteoarthritis — Read Study

This study followed 21 people with moderate knee osteoarthritis after a single PRP injection. Average pain scores improved from 7 before treatment to 2 during early follow-up and remained better than baseline four years later, when the average pain score was 4. Measures of knee function also improved after treatment and remained above baseline at long-term follow-up. Although the study was small and did not include a control group, the sustained improvements provide encouraging long-term clinical data.

2022: MSC and PRP Combination Reported Greater Knee-OA Pain and Function Improvements

Combination of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials — Read Study

This meta-analysis reviewed randomized clinical trials comparing a combination of MSCs and PRP with PRP alone or standard care for knee osteoarthritis. The analysis included data from nearly 500 participants and found that the combined MSC and PRP approach was associated with greater improvements in pain and knee function at six and 12 months, with no increase in adverse effects.

2021: PRP Reported Greater Pain Relief and Mobility at Three Months for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy

Corticosteroids or Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study — Read Study

This randomized, double-blind clinical trial included 58 people with chronic rotator cuff tendinopathy who received either a PRP injection or a corticosteroid injection. Both groups improved after treatment and produced similar results across most clinical measures. At three months, however, the PRP group had greater reductions in pain and greater improvements in some measures of shoulder movement, including adduction and external rotation.