Role of platelet-rich plasma in articular cartilage lesions

Articular cartilage has only a limited capacity of selfhealing. Once seriously damaged, articular cartilage lesions will not regenerate; and any joint surface damage,\nif left untreated, will invariably deteriorate and eventually spread to surrounding areas.1 The end result of such a process is often the development of osteoarthritis (OA),\nwhich often occurs in large load-bearing joints, such as knee and femoral joint. So much attention has been focused on how to eliminate symptoms, repair damaged cartilage,\nrestore the integrity of the articular surface, prevent or halt joint degeneration, and improve joint function. But it still remains a challenging problem for orthopedic surgeons.\nIn recent years, the role of growth factors (GFs) on tissue repair has become a hot research topic. The biological effect of GFs on cartilage repair has been well documented\nin vivo and in vitro.2-4 At present, most GFs are obtained mainly through genetic engineering technology and extracted from the animals; the preparation process is cumbersome, expensive, and inconvenient.

Articular cartilage has only a limited capacity of selfhealing. Once seriously damaged, articular cartilage lesions will not regenerate; and any joint surface damage, if left untreated, will invariably deteriorate and eventually spread to surrounding areas.1 The end result of such a process is often the development of osteoarthritis (OA), which often occurs in large load-bearing joints, such as knee and femoral joint. So much attention has been focused on how to eliminate symptoms, repair damaged cartilage, restore the integrity of the articular surface, prevent or halt joint degeneration, and improve joint function. But it still remains a challenging problem for orthopedic surgeons. In recent years, the role of growth factors (GFs) on tissue repair has become a hot research topic. The biological effect of GFs on cartilage repair has been well documented in vivo and in vitro.2-4 At present, most GFs are obtained mainly through genetic engineering technology and extracted from the animals; the preparation process is cumbersome, expensive, and inconvenient.