Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy at Durdans Centre for Orthopaedics
View(s):Osteoarthritis, which causes pain and joint stiffness, impacts a significant proportion of the Sri Lankan population and is a leading cause of disability mainly among women. The disease is characterised by degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint as well as bone overgrowth. Disease onset is gradual and usually begins after the age of 40, according to Colombo hospital Durdans.
The treatment of knee Osteoarthritis is still a challenge due to the poor self-regeneration capacity of cartilage. Nonsurgical interventions such as weight control, symptomatic treatments (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy have been sought after for the treatment of knee Osteoarthritis to increase tissue healing and to slow down the progression of degeneration.
Being the pioneer in Sri Lanka to introduce platelet-rich plasma (PRP) knee rehabilitation therapy, the Durdans Orthopaedics medical team utilises a comprehensive techniquewhich includes a combination of healing factors to treat many orthopaedic conditions, including knee Osteoarthritis and other soft tissue injuries involving tendons and ligaments. PRP is commonly used in conjunction with Stem Cell Therapy. The number of injections and length of time needed for the regenerative healing process vary based on the extent of the injury, the hospital said in a media release.
“PRP injections cause positive, beneficial, and healing cellular changes in the joint environment. These changes help move the knee from degenerative knee disease to a healing and regenerating knee joint. Healing includes: regeneration of articular cartilage, increasing the volume of natural knee lubricants, and waking up the stem cells present in the knee to assist in the transformation to healing environment. This treatment is ideal for patients who want to avoid surgery and the resulting downtime,” said Dr. Ashan Abeywardena, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Durdans.
In addition to the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, arthroscopically assisted procedures which only require small incisions are also available at Durdans Centre for Orthopaedics, giving both professional athletes and sports enthusiasts another mean to get back to their chosen activities more quickly.