Platelet Rich Plasma in the Repair of Articular Cartilage Injury: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Objective This paper reviews the research of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in articular cartilage injury repair, to assess the mechanism, utilization, and efficacy of PRP in the treatment of articular cartilage injury, hoping to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of PRP in the future. Materials and Methods A comprehensive database search on PRP applications in cartilage repair was performed. Among them, the retrieval time range of PRP in clinical trials of repairing knee cartilage injury was from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Non-clinical trials and studies unrelated to cartilage injury were excluded. Result PRP can affect inflammation, angiogenesis, cartilage protection, and cellular proliferation and differentiation after articular cartilage injury through different pathways. In all, 13 clinical trials were included in the analysis. Conclusion PRP is an emergent therapeutic approach in tissue engineering. Most studies reported that PRP has a positive effect on cartilage injury, improving the joint function, meanwhile there is a lack of standardized standards. The technology of PRP in the repair and treatment of articular cartilage injury is worthy of further research.

Wet 3D printing of biodegradable porous scaffolds to enable room-temperature deposition modeling of polymeric solutions for regeneration of articular cartilage

“…The regeneration of articular cartilage has been an important topic in both academic and clinical fields for a long time [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62]. Although efforts had been made by plenty of researchers, very few materials could turn into effective biomedical products.…”

Recent advances in platelet-rich plasma and its derivatives: therapeutic agents for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

“…A balance between catabolic and anabolic forces, and consequently over the rates of cellular development and destruction, is necessary for tissue health. Regeneration is observed to be aided by catabolic factors, primarily in the case of articular cartilage [61]. Due to the drawbacks of the gold-standard therapeutic approaches for problems of cartilage tissue, PRP and related derivatives have gained popularity in recent years [62].…”

“…Due to the drawbacks of the gold-standard therapeutic approaches for problems of cartilage tissue, PRP and related derivatives have gained popularity in recent years [62]. The main part of the treatment involves injecting PRP into the intraarticular area, which protects the chondrocytes, thereby altering the levels of catabolic factors [61,63]. Osteoarthritis (OA), which affects millions of people worldwide and is treated with surgical procedures that require lengthy recovery times, is a significant concern in the field of cartilage disorders.…”

Protecting the regenerative environment: selecting the optimal delivery vehicle for cartilage repair—a narrative review

“…For those with OA, current strategies to optimize the delivery vehicle have included the use of existing biological fluids such as PRP, or synthesized biological material such as HA. PRP has been cited to reduce the occurrence of inflammation, improve angiogenesis, and promote the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes by secreting cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, as well as exosomes with similar effects, so as to promote the healing of bone and cartilage injuries ( Liang et al, 2022 ). In clinical studies, patients with knee OA treated with PRP showed improvement in physical function and pain, suggesting that intra-articular injection of PRP may be a potential therapeutic strategy for relieving knee pain ( Liang et al, 2022 ; Riewruja et al, 2022 ).…”