While PRP has been used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal issues, there are no well-controlled studies that exist for the majority of musculoskeletal injuries. Although PRP injections into specific deteriorated or partially torn tendons have been found to be beneficial in
most patients, these findings may not be applicable to all tendons or musculoskeletal injuries. As a result, it remains unclear the efficacy of PRP for treating your specific condition. A majority of PRP injections are performed in locations where the patient is experiencing pain due to tendon deterioration or tendinopathy. The Achilles tendon, elbow tendons, rotator cuff, and hamstring tendons are all examples of where pain might occur. PRP may also benefit the treatment of muscle strain injuries, however, there still remains little controlled data to back this up. In conclusion, when comparing PRP to alternative options (cortisone injections, surgery, or strictly oral medications and physical therapy), your physician and radiology consultant believe the potential advantages of PRP outweigh the risks and lead them to believe that PRP is the most rational solution for you.
Since PRP is taken from your own blood, there lies NO risk of an allergy or immunological reaction; this is known as an autologous  transplantation. According to research, PRP side effects are extremely rare. The two main areas of concern regarding the injection site are  soreness and local infection, however its likelihood is approximately 1%. An injection of a non-buffered PRP is highly acidic and can cause  pain which is why the physician will add a small quantity of sodium bicarbonate to the solution in order to balance pH and ease a majority  of the discomfort. In addition you will be given a long-acting local anesthetic before injecting the PRP. If there is any additional pain  afterwards, your referring physician has the ability to write you a prescription for pain medication.

It is imperative that you stop taking any corticosteroids one month before the procedure and any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 7-14 days before and after your procedure. Common examples of anti-inflammatories are aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and indomethacin. These types of medications function by inhibiting the action of specific growth factors that are found in the PRP, therefore, making your injection unsuccessful. You are permitted to use acetaminophen (Tylenol) before or after your injection. In regards to lower extremity injections, we highly advise someone else to be available to drive you home. Your physician may even require you to be on crutches for 1-2 days following your procedure; this should be discussed ahead of time. The crutches are used if there is considerable pain standing or walking after lower extremity injections. If you have had an MRI scan done somewhere other than Coastal Imaging, it is required you bring the images with you to your appointment so that they may be examined for a precise target prior to injection.

When you arrive at Coastal Imaging diagnostic center, the following steps will take place:

• Check in at the front desk of Coastal Imaging; building 503 on Eisenhower Dr. with the red double doors.
• A discussion with the radiologist about the procedure following with a given informed consent to proceed.
• A qualified staff member will extract ~50 cc of your blood from an arm vein, place it in a centrifuge, and concentrate the PRP.
• An ultrasound of the afflicted area will be performed to help pinpoint regions of injury and assess if the injection can be completed safely.
• Local anesthetic will be given to numb your skin’s area of injection, followed by the PRP injection. This could also include needling a tendon’s adjacent bony attachment, which may cause procedural or post-procedural pain.
• You will finish your appointment by resting in the exam room for 15 minutes before being discharged home. Your entire time at Coastal Imaging should take approximately one hour.

During the first 24-48 hours following your appointment, you may ice the region for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours. An experience of extreme  pain, known as a flare reaction, tends to occur in around every 1 in 10 patients the day after their procedure. If a flare reaction should occur,  you should start taking the pain medication prescribed by the radiologist that injected the treatment and contact him/her. You may call 912-355-6255 during day office hours to speak with a radiologist with any concerns. It is normal for some redness and swelling to occur  following your procedure, however, if any extreme swelling, redness, discharge, or fever continues, please contact the radiologist that  performed the injection and/or your referring physician to be evaluated for possible infection (this is extremely rare, but may call for  antibiotic treatment). If your symptoms become severe, please visit your nearest Emergency Room.

It is important to limit activities that are connected to the injection site on the day and day after your procedure to only activities of  everyday living. Crutches may be necessary for 1-2 days to diminish any pain that can arise with weight-bearing movement. Your referring  physician and physical therapist, if one is involved, will be responsible for overseeing your progression in return to any activities that  include running, cycling, weight training, and other sports. To properly analyze your reaction to the PRP therapy, it is likely it will take 6-8  weeks. Please schedule an appointment with your referring physician within this time frame to discuss your progression and assist in  gathering any data for research and any future patients.

The FDA has not yet approved PRP for many musculoskeletal injuries. It is anticipated that some insurance companies will cover the  procedure, however, it’s plausible that your insurance company will deny all or part of the reimbursement. The businesses that manufacture the centrifuges used for PRP roughly charge $800 for this piece of equipment. As a result, if your insurance company does not  cover the cost, you will be held responsible for payment including any other components of the procedure your carrier denies. Certain situations may require a pre-approval of the injection such as the ultrasound and guiding the injection. A large portion of the billing is completely out of our control, therefore, we want to provide you with as much information as possible so that all terms are made clear.