History of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

The history of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and its impact on sports medicine is somewhat nebulous.  PRP application for dental procedures predates sports medicine by nearly a decade.  PRP and stem cell technology have roots in veterinary medicine and research, through Dolly the sheep - the first cloned animal.

A pioneer in PRP, Dr. Allan Mishra operated on ex-San Francisco 49'ers quarterback Steve Bono in 1999, after Bono sustained an Achilles tendon tear.  Six months later Bono was told about PRP by former San Francisco teammate Joe Montana (who owned horses and learned about it from veterinarians who treated horses with the procedure).  Dr. Mishra researched it and became an leading authority on PRP and Achilles tendonitis.  A year and a half later, Bono tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball and Dr. Mishra used PRP as part of his treatment.

In the world of elite athletes, there are preferred orthopedic surgeons for specific injuries.  The Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado is renowned for surgically treating knees and hips.  PRP is routinely used in post-operative care there.  Dr. Marc Philippon, at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic, has treated Alex Rodriguez (NY Yankees), Greg Norman (professional golfer), Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals).  Cliff Lee, the 2008 Cy Young award-winning pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, underwent PRP for a strained abdominal muscle.  On April 10, 2010, Alan Horne (NY Yankees) announced his postponement of rotator cuff surgery by renowned shoulder surgeon Dr. James Andrews of the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.  Despite an 80 percent tear of the rotator cuff in his pitching arm, Horne elected to go with a cutting-edge procedure - PRP and rehabilitation - stating "it's pretty cool stuff."

Prior to their Super Bowl XLIII victory over the Arizona Cardinals, two Pittsburg Steelers players, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, were ailing from injuries.  They used the two weeks after the AFC championship game to have PRP.  Both players had rapid healing results, and played exceptionally well in their Super Bowl win.  Denver Nuggets basketball star, Kenyon Martin turned to platelet-rich plasma after suffering with a chronic knee injury.  He now swears by it.

Dr. Anthony Galea, a Canadian physician well respected in the sports medicine community, is known for using PRP to rapidly heal athletic injuries.  His patients include Alex Rodriguez (NY Yankees), Tiger Woods (professional golfer), Carlos Beltran (NY Mets), Jose Reyes (NY Mets), Dara Torres (9-time Olympic medalist swimmer) and Chris Simms (Denver Broncos).  Tiger Woods has stated he received PRP in his Orlando home from Dr. Galea following his knee surgery and twice for Achilles tendonitis.  Dr. Galea is under investigation for attempting to bring Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and Actovegin into the US.  Dr. Galea does not possess a license to practice medicine in the US and HGH is a controlled substance.  Actovegin is a protein-free extract obtained from filtered calf's blood and is thought to assist in the healing process, along with PRP, by the enhanced absorption of glucose and oxygen uptake.  Both are essential factors in boosting cellular metabolism to improve physical performance and stamina.  Actovegin is not regulated by the FDA.  It is also felt to improve the regenerative process, which is exactly what platelet-rich plasma does.  PRP by itself dramatically improves the healing process and is completely legal when performed by a licensed physician.

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