Gill SS, Cenci G, Falcinelli S, Marzano F, Carriero B, Filippi N, Pace V. Platelet rich plasma and anterior cruciate ligament repair: A new frontier, or a short term adjunct. World J Orthop 2025; 16(1): 100693 [PMID: 39850039 DOI: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i1.100693]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Valerio Pace, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, AOSP Terni, Via Joannuccio, Terni 05100, Umbria, Italy. valeriopace@doctors.org.uk
Research Domain of This Article
Orthopedics
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Orthop. Jan 18, 2025; 16(1): 100693 Published online Jan 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i1.100693
Platelet rich plasma and anterior cruciate ligament repair: A new frontier, or a short term adjunct
Saran Singh Gill, Giulia Cenci, Susanna Falcinelli, Fabrizio Marzano, Bruno Carriero, Nicola Filippi, Valerio Pace
Saran Singh Gill, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, United Kingdom
Giulia Cenci, Susanna Falcinelli, Bruno Carriero, Valerio Pace, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, AOSP Terni, Terni 05100, Umbria, Italy
Fabrizio Marzano, Department of Trauma and Ortopaedics, Ospedale Degli Infermi, Faenza 48018, Italy
Nicola Filippi, Orthopaedic and Traumatology Unit, Department of Knee Surgery, ASL Viterbo, Viterbo 01100, Italy
Author contributions: Pace V received the invitation; Gill SS, Cenci G, Falcinelli S, Marzano F, Carriero B, Filippi N and Pace V designed the article, performed research and literature review, analyzed data, wrote and finalized the review; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Valerio Pace, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, AOSP Terni, Via Joannuccio, Terni 05100, Umbria, Italy. valeriopace@doctors.org.uk
Received: August 23, 2024 Revised: November 21, 2024 Accepted: December 11, 2024 Published online: January 18, 2025 Processing time: 143 Days and 1.4 Hours
Abstract
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood product rich in platelets, showing promise in reducing inflammation and accelerating healing. While extensively utilized in plastic surgery, dermatology, and osteoarthritis treatment, its application in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is limited. This article examines PRP's potential in ACL reconstruction (ACLR), exploring its history, current usage, controversies and future directions. PRP has demonstrated significant early benefits in ligamentisation and vascularisation post-ACLR, though its long-term efficacy is inconsistent. Studies suggest that PRP may serve as both an adjunct therapy in ACLR to enhance initial healing and reduce postoperative complications, and as a non-surgical alternative for small ACL tears. Despite these promising findings, outcome variability necessitates further high-quality research to optimize PRP formulations and determine its most effective applications. The exploration of PRP as a treatment modality in ACLR offers promising but varied outcomes. PRP holds considerable promise as both an adjunct and alternative to traditional ACLR. This article underscores the need for targeted research to fully realize PRP's therapeutic potential in ACL treatment, aiming to inform future studies and clinical practices. By understanding PRP's mechanisms of efficacy and identifying the most beneficial patient populations, PRP could significantly impact orthopaedics and sports medicine, improving recovery pathways and patient outcomes.
Core Tip: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) shows promise in enhancing early healing and reducing complications in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, though its long-term efficacy remains inconsistent. Optimizing PRP formulations and targeted research are essential to fully realize its therapeutic potential. PRP could serve as both an adjunct and non-surgical alternative in anterior cruciate ligament treatments, potentially revolutionizing patient recovery in orthopaedics and sports medicine.
