Meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage that acts as a cushion between your thigh bone and shinbone and provides stability to knee joints. A sudden injury or natural wear and tear of the tissue might cause a meniscus tear, resulting in severe pain and limited mobility.
If you weigh down the options to deal with the condition, PRP could be an advanced and innovative treatment. Research shows that PRP aids in restoring the function of your damaged meniscus tissue and eases the painful symptoms hindering your daily life.
Read on to know more about PRP therapy, how it works on meniscus tears, and the procedure’s advantages.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapy for meniscus injury treatment is a regenerative treatment involving the patient’s blood sample to repair the tissues. The PRP in the blood contains proteins or growth factors that stimulate cell renewal by stimulating the action of white blood cells to fix the injury, reconstructing the tissues over time.
Research has been demonstrating positive results for Platelet-rich Plasma for Meniscus Repair. The best part about this new regenerative therapy is that the treatment is not limited to any joint or part of your body. Treating every damaged soft tissue, including muscles, ligaments, tendons and cartilage, is beneficial.
How PRP Therapy Helps Treat Meniscus Tears
Regenerative therapy, PRP injections, is an excellent non-alternative alternative to treat patients with symptomatic degenerative meniscal tears. Your body can heal itself. Here, the PRP injections involve your platelets to heal the damage.
When the PRP is injected into the affected area, the growth factors induce the production of new tissues. It also improves the healthy and continuous blood flow into the injured cartilage in the meniscus and offers long-term healing.
Advantages of Using PRP Therapy for Meniscus Tears
- Minimally Invasive
PRP injection is not a surgical procedure. It is a minimally invasive procedure that profoundly reduces downtime by improving the recovery time without compromising on your comfort levels.
- A Natural Alternative
PRP therapy is a natural Meniscus Tear Treatment created from your blood sample and promotes healing. It also reduces pain and inflammation by treating the root cause of the problem.
- Prompts Healing
When injured soft tissues like ligaments and cartilage take time to heal. It is due to the lack or limited supply of blow to the affected area. Incorporating PRP therapy will act as a reinforcement agent by improving the blood flow, strengthening the tissues and speeding up the healing period.
- Aids in Age-Related Concerns
Elder people will have a harder time coping with the invasive treatment and healing process of meniscus tears. PRP treatment eliminates the need for surgeries, protects the injured parts and boosts your body’s healing response.
Comparison to Traditional Treatments
Description of Traditional Treatments for Meniscus Tears
As a traditional method, the meniscus tear is treated by opting for the R.I.C.E, which includes
- Rest – Take sufficient rest to soothe the affected area.
- Ice – Apply ice on the injured area at periodic intervals.
- Compression – Apply ideal pressure by tying the bandage around the damaged area to decrease inflammation.
- Elevation – Raise the affected knee to prevent further swelling.
Differences Between Prp Therapy and Traditional Treatments
Most conventional methods, such as surgery and medications, do not reduce the pain caused by a meniscus tear if the condition is severe and might also cause side effects. For instance, corticosteroid injections normally treat inflammation due to meniscus tears and other knee injuries.
Even though these injections effectively treat the issues, they are not suitable for everyone. Cortisone is a synthetic steroid that might suppress the immune system.
However, in contrast, studies show that PRP is a safe alternative therapy that uses the natural healing ability of your body to repair the damage. The process involves injecting the precise concentration of platelets to target the damaged area. The healing agent will stabilise the knee joints, repairing the tears and tightening the loose issues to improve function without side effects.
Procedure and Recovery
- Explanation of the PRP Therapy Procedure
The process will take an hour to carry out as we must create PRP from scratch every time. Moreover, it can be customised to suit an individual’s specific needs and requirements.
Step 1 – Your doctor will collect your blood sample at a significant level, depending on the severity of your condition.
Step 2 – The drawn blood sample is then processed in the centrifuge machine to separate the blood components.
Step 3 – Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections involve utilizing a concentration of platelets and plasma obtained through separation. The effectiveness of the injection is directly related to the concentration of platelets in the plasma. Higher concentrations of platelets yield a greater positive impact on the condition being treated.
Step 4 – The injection will be injected within the targeted area to heal the injured tissue.
- What to Expect During the Recovery Process?
It will take 4 – 6 weeks to recover from the PRP treatment. You might experience slight discomfort or swelling in the injected area. Even though the injection promotes faster healing and tissue growth, the results gradually progress over the next few weeks.
You can engage in minimal movements, but the doctor might recommend you rest completely for two weeks. Depending on the results, your doctor might suggest you opt for follow-up injections to ensure recovery and positive outcomes.
- Tips for Optimising Recovery after PRP Therapy for Meniscus Tears
- Avoid strenuous activities to avoid straining the damaged tissue that might hinder the healing.
- Use assistive devices like braces, canes, crutches and other aids to support the ligament, reduce the stress on your joints and keep them immobile.
- Participate in a physical therapy program, including light stretching and gentle movements in the initial days. Increase the motion and strength impact of the exercise after 3 or 4 weeks.
- Apply ice/warm packs to the affected area for 15 minutes daily to relieve the discomfort.
- With the doctor’s advice, you can take acetaminophen to ease the pain.
Summing Up!
Meniscus tear may be a common condition. However, when left untreated, it will result in painful symptoms such as swelling and limit your regular activities, even resulting in dysfunction. If you are not responding to typical medication treatment, opting for regenerative treatments at the early stage is time.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is one such regenerative method that has emerged as an innovative treatment in the medicinal field. PRP procedure for torn meniscus treatment is a fast, minimally invasive and safe therapy to cure the torn meniscus by accelerating the natural healing process of your body.