Welcome to the Regenerative Research Roundup, where we look through recently published research and bring you the best of the best in a quick-to-read digest.
This month, we're focusing on new research regarding the use of expanded BMA and LP-PRP in tendinopathy; PRP for erectile dysfunction; and combination therapy for knee OA.
Effect of Autologous Expanded Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells or Leukocyte-Poor Platelet-Rich Plasma in Chronic Patellar Tendinopathy (With Gap >3 mm): Preliminary Outcomes After 6 Months of a Double-Blind, Randomized, Prospective Study
Patellar tendinopathy is among the most common pathologies treated with PRP. This randomized control trial evaluated expanded BM-MSCs against LP-PRP, finding significant improvements at all time points for VAS scores and functional imaging.
While BM-MSCs outperformed LP-PRP, it's important to note that for soft tissue injections LR-PRP has been shown to outperform LP-PRP. Why? Read here: https://www.mdbiologix.com/post/the-greatest-misconception-about-prp
Intra Articular Injection Of Autologous Microfat And Platelet-Rich Plasma In The Treatment Of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double Blind Randomized Comparative Study
Microfat is growing in popularity as a viable source of stem cells in addition to providing a 3D Bioactive scaffold for PRP.
This study evaluated three groups of 10 patients with knee OA treated with 10cc of either Microfat+Saline; Microfat+Low Density PRP; Microfat+High Density PRP. While all patients responded to the treatment, those that received the Microfat with High Density PRP achieved the greatest benefit.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Improves Erectile Function: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
PRP has become an increasingly popular tool for sexual medicine in the "O-shot" and "P-shot". Now, it seems to be a viable option for treating mild to moderate Erectile Dysfunction.
This was the first double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of it's kind. 60 sexually active patients with mild and moderate ED were randomly assigned to two sessions, with a one-month difference, of 10 mL PRP or placebo. At 6 months, a MCID was achieved by 20/29 (69%) patients in the PRP group compared to 7/26 (27%) in the placebo group.
Intra-Articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Combined With Hyaluronic Acid Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis Is Superior to Platelet-Rich Plasma or Hyaluronic Acid Alone in Inhibiting Inflammation and Improving Pain and Function
While it's widely supported in the literature that PRP outperforms HA injections for Knee OA, combination therapy of the two has become a popular approach among practitioners.
In this randomized controlled trial, 122 knees were treated with HA (34 knees), PRP (40 knees), and PRP+HA (48 knees). PRP density was 5.13-time that of whole blood, which meets the minimum threshold for clinical efficacy.
Researchers determined that PRP combined with HA was more effective than PRP or HA alone, supporting what clinicians have reported anecdotally.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the above research, or are wondering how you can apply it to your regenerative practice, please leave a comment below or shoot me an email at cdowns@mdbiologix.com
Cheers!
Connor
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