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Platelet-Rich Plasma in Muscle Injuries: When and How It Can Be Used

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Sports Injuries

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Abstract

Presenting a significant problem in clinical medicine, skeletal muscle regeneration (after injuries, in atrophic disorders, etc.) is limited by fibrous scar formation, slow healing time, and a high rate of injury recurrence. Unfortunately, not many alternatives exist to the generally accepted conservative RICE principle for treating muscle injuries. Local platelet-rich plasma (PRP) application is popular in the field of sports medicine as an autologous source of growth factors that are believed to have potential therapeutic implications. However, several concerns have been raised as to whether high concentrations of TGF-β contained in PRP itself may have a negative effect in regard to fibrosis and the lack of any preclinical data. Although it is believed to be already used by many sports physicians, there is no evidence-based protocol for using PRP in treating muscle injuries. This chapter explains the reason behind it and proposes the best time frame to use PRP in muscle injuries according to physiological healing processes.

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Abbreviations

MSTN:

Myostatin

NSAID:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

PRP:

Platelet-rich plasma

R.I.C.E.:

Rest, ice, compression, elevation

TGF-β:

Transforming growth factor beta

WADA:

World Anti-Doping Agency

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Center Maribor, Ljubljanska ulica 5, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Matjaz Vogrin & Robi Kelc

Authors
  1. Matjaz Vogrin
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  2. Robi Kelc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robi Kelc .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Orthopedics & Traumatology, Hacettepe University Fac. Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Mahmut Nedim Doral

  2. Gothenburg, Sweden

    Jon Karlsson

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Vogrin, M., Kelc, R. (2015). Platelet-Rich Plasma in Muscle Injuries: When and How It Can Be Used. In: Doral, M., Karlsson, J. (eds) Sports Injuries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_173-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_173-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-36801-1

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Platelet-Rich Plasma in Muscle Injuries: When and How It Can Be Used
    Published:
    19 October 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_173-2

  2. Original

    Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in Muscle Injuries: When and How It Can Be Used?
    Published:
    20 June 2014

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36801-1_173-1

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