How Safe Is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?

Samuel G Oltman, ND, RMSK

Properly made, expertly delivered PRP is effective– but is it safe? It’s an important question that can help you make the most informed decision. 

PRP is exceptionally safe when done correctly. Published complication rates are between 0-5% and can include (1,2): 

•  Post-procedure pain. This lasts anywhere from a few days to a week. 

  • We have many strategies for making the procedure and post-procedure as comfortable as possible.

• Infection is always a risk with any injection and is completely preventable with proper clean technique. 

• Inadvertent tissue damage. This is largely mitigated by ultrasound guidance. 

• There is no allergic reaction risk because it’s made from your own body.

Part of safety is knowing exactly where the medicine goes. That is where Dr. Oltman’s RMSK credential and ultrasound-guidance comes in:

• Ultrasound-guided (USG) injections (regardless of what is being injected) have a complication rate of 1.2% and 99% of those are minor (3). 

• Accuracy of USG injections is markedly higher than “landmark based” injection. A number of studies have found landmark based injections to be under 50% accuracy, while USG is always 95+% (4). 

If you’re going to spend your hard-earned money on treatment you need to know that it’s effective, that the medicine goes to the correct place, and that it’s safe. At Cascade Regenerative Medicine we do all three with exceptional professionalism and superior results. Come see the difference and schedule today. 

References:

1. A systematic review on the efficacy of different types of platelet-rich plasma in the management of lateral epicondylitis. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 2022;31(7):1533-1544.

2. Nie L yan, Zhao K, Ruan J, Xue J. Effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Orthop J Sports Med. 2021;9(3):2325967120973284.

3. Hynes JP, Fhlatharta MN, Ryan JW, MacMahon PJ, Eustace SJ, Kavanagh EC. Complications in image-guided musculoskeletal injections. Skeletal Radiol. 2021;50(2):343-349.

4. Finnoff JT, Nutz DJ, Henning PT, Hollman JH, Smith J. Accuracy of ultrasound-guided versus unguided pes anserinus bursa injections. PM R. 2010;2(8):732-739.