Platelet rich plasma treatment is used in many different conditions within the sports medicine specialty. Below is a question and answer session we had with a mountain biker regarding a torn meniscus injury. The patient had PRP treatment done on the meniscus tear and seemed to help. Read for yourself below.
What was your injury that was treated with prp treatment?
I had PRP treatment to repair a torn meniscus and patella in my right knee. I believe that I injured my knee while mountain biking.
Did you try any other therapy before you opted for prp treatment?
We did try to treat the issues with basic physical therapy, but it was to no avail.
Why did your physician decide to utilize prp for this injury?
My physician had performed a number of PRP procedures in his office. He cited it as a less invasive and cheaper alternative to having my knee scoped. He expressed that both he and the medical field at large had a high success rate with PRP treatments, especially in repairing meniscus tears.
What medical facility did your physician perform this treatment? Hospital? Physician clinic?
He performed it with the assistance of another more experienced physician on a Saturday morning, in his office/clinic.
Did your physician have you follow a specific protocol the night before your prp treatment?
I believe so but I don’t remember much. I think I might have had to fast the day before.
Do you remember how much blood was drawn from you? After they drew the blood, how long did you have to wait before the platelet rich plasma was ready for use on your injury?
I don’t remember. I do think they drew enough for me to have a second treatment if needed.
What did the physician do to prepare the injury site for injection?
I remember them using a sonogram machine, looking at the tears, as well as cleaning my leg, using some iodine and marking my knee with marker as to where to inject the needle. They injected anaesthesia all the way around my knee before injecting the areas with prp.
Did the physician use ultrasound as a guide to place the platelet rich plasma?
Yes
How did the injection feel? Explain. And do you remember how long the prp treatment took? If you had pain, how long did the pain last? Any swelling?
I felt very little. I don’t think the whole thing took more than an hour or so. There was some pain after the anesthetic wore off, but I really didn’t use the prescription pain medications that were prescribed. In fact, I still have them in my medicine cabinet. The knee instantaneously began to swell, and remained swollen for a day or two.
How long did the entire visit take?
Maybe 1.5 to 2 hours.
After treatment, did your physician wrap the treatment site? If not, what did he do post treatment?
No, he didn’t wrap it. I went home on crutches and rested for a few days.
What was your physicians post prp treatment protocol for you? Restrictions? Rest? Exercise? Stretching? Pain medication? Any specific directions you had to follow?
I was encouraged to take it easy for a while. I began putting some weight back on it though in a matter of 4 to 5 days.
How much was the prp treatment?
I cannot remember. My insurance covered much of it. I want to say that I had to pay a couple hundred dollars out of pocket. I do remember my Dr. suggesting that it was more than 1/2 the cost of orthoscopic surgery.
Did the treatment work for you? If so, when did you start feeling better? How soon could you bet back to playing your sport?
Yes. I was back to jogging fairly quickly. The patella healed first. I could still feel, for a while, that the meniscus hadn’t quite healed as quickly. Still had a sharp pain there when I twisted just right, but just around the time I was considering having another treatment, the pain went away completely. I was back to running and mountain biking like nothing had ever happened in about two months.
Other comments or thoughts about your prp experience?
I would do it again if I needed to.
Would you like to share your own patient experience? If so – contact us today and we’ll tell your story!
