Information about a piece of news titled New IOC consensus paper on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in sports medicine
New IOC consensus paper on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in sports medicine
Intoduction
A new IOC report on one of the current hot topics in the treatment in sports medicine has just been released in British Journal of Sports Medicine. The final recommendation of the consensus group is to proceed with caution in the use of PRP in athletic sporting injuries.
Platelet Rich Plasma (also known as platelet-rich in growth factors, platelet-rich fibrin matrix, platelet-rich fibrin, fibrin sealant, platelet concentrate, platelet-rich in growth factors) is now being widely used to treat musculoskeletal injuries in sports and draws widespread media attention despite the absence of robust clinical studies to support its use.
To follow-up this concern, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and professor Lars Engebretsen, Head of Research & Science in the IOC and Head of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC) gathered a group of 20 internationally known researchers in Lausanne in May 2010.
The aim of this meeting was to critically review the current state of PRP treatment among athletes, aiming to provide recommendations for clinicians, athletes, and individual sports governing bodies.
Based on this review, the IOC consensus group summarized that there is a limited amount of basic science research on the influence of PRP on the inflammation and repair of connective tissue and skeletal muscle.
Of the few studies on the effectiveness of PRP in clinical settings been published, only very few are of sufficient methodological quality that would enable evidence based decision making. There is an even greater paucity of well conducted clinical studies on the use of PRP to manage sport injuries.
The final recommendation of this consensus group is to proceed with caution in the use of PRP in athletic sporting injuries. More work on the basic science is needed to be undertaken and greater rigour should be implemented in developing robust clinical trials to demonstrate the efficacy or otherwise of PRP.
From Norway, Lars Engebretsen and Kathrin Steffen participated.
Read the IOC consensus paper in British Journal of Sports Medicine.