The cutting-edge of sports therapy: Injecting athletes with their own blood to speed recovery of everything from tennis elbow to knee tendinitis. According to an article in today's Times, injecting someone with their own blood “catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue.” Sounds pretty good! Platlet-rich plasma is derived by placing a small amount of the patient’s blood in a filtration system or centrifuge that rotates at high speed, separating red blood cells from the platelets that release proteins and other particles involved in the body’s self-healing process, doctors said. A teaspoon or two of the remaining substance is then injected into the damaged area. The high concentration of platelets — from 3 to 10 times that of normal blood — often catalyzes the growth of new soft-tissue or bone cells. Because the substance is injected where blood would rarely go otherwise, it can deliver the healing instincts of platelets without triggering the clotting response for which platelets are typically known. More here.
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