The Results of Autotransfusion With Platelet Rich Plasma in Spinal Neurosurgery

Abstract

THE RESULTS OF AUTOTRANSFUSION WITH PLATELET RICH PLASMA IN SPINAL NEUROSURGERY. Introduction. Рlatelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood plasma separated by centrifugation with highly abundant platelets, has multiple applications in many healthcare fields for the improvement of soft and bone tissues regeneration. The studies of PRP implementation results in spine neurosurgery are of high demand in case of pathologies related to the degeneration or injury of living bone and cartilaginous elements of vertebral column, which require the installation of vertebral interbody fusion system. Purpose. Improvement of surgical treatment outcomes by means of improving postoperative wound healing and reducing pain severity after the installation of transpedicular fixation systems in the lumbar spine using a biotechnological method which has a multimodal effect on regeneration processes and is simple and cost-effective Materials and Methods. The results of transpedicular stabilization in lumbar spine vertebral column were assessed within the early postoperational period in two groups of patients comparable in age and health status with spondylolisthesis and spinal motion segment instability. Patients from the main group (n = 20, average age 47.8 ± 6.6 years) received PRP during the operation as compared to the control one (n = 30, average age 46.9 ± 5.6 years) without PRP injections. Results. It was found that during the first day post-operation the pain severity in the main group was significantly reduced (1.6 ± 0.7 points according to the visual analogous scale) as compared to the control (3.8 ± 0.9 points). Moreover, these characteristics before the discharge of the patients were 0.3 ± 0.3 and 2.0 ± 0.4 points respectively. It is noteworthy that the swelling and wound edges hyperemia were remarkably reduced after the PRP use. Finally, no complications, side-effect or systemic consequences of PRP were observed. Conclusions. Therefore, the local injections of PRP during the installment of transpedicular stabilization system in lumbar spine is easyto-handle and safe approach favoring the quick recovery in early postoperational period.