New Treatment for Knee Injuries
Imagine having the ability to improve your body’s recovery time from a knee injury.
NorthBay Health Orthopedics now offers a new treatment for knee injury with the potential to do just that.
Popularized in recent years by many professional athletes, including Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections offer promise in the treatment of knee injuries. NorthBay orthopedic specialist Andrew Brooks, M.D., is now including PRP as an option for certain patients. He is the only orthopedist offering the treatment in Solano County.
Platelet-rich plasma consists of two elements: plasma, or the liquid portion of blood, and platelets, a type of blood cell that plays an important role in healing throughout the body. Platelets are well-known for their clotting abilities, but they also contain growth factors that can trigger cell reproduction and stimulate tissue regeneration or healing in the treated area. Platelet-rich plasma is simply blood that contains more platelets than normal.
To create platelet-rich plasma, a blood sample is taken from the patient and placed it into a centrifuge that rapidly spins the sample, separating out the other components of the blood from the platelets and concentrating them within the plasma, which is then injected into the target area, such as an injured knee or a tendon.
Studies have shown that the increased concentration of growth factors in platelet-rich plasma may stimulate or speed up the healing process, shortening healing time for injuries and decreasing pain. The results of PRP treatment are most noticeable after several weeks for joint injections.
Because the treatments use a patient’s own tissues, PRP injections are considered safe and can be administered alone or used in conjunction with other procedures.
Learn more about our Orthopedics services or call to learn more about this procedure and schedule an appointment at (707) 624-7900.
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