Using Blood to Heal Injuries

My colleague at work, Don, has been battling Achilles pain for many years, and I know from him how frustrating it is to be deal with an injury that never seems to heal.

One of the problems is that tendons and other white tissue are poorly supplied by blood, and so an injury, once sustained, repairs itself very slowly. And once weakened, the tendon is prone to being re-injured. In other words, even with the proper diagnosis and treatment (and that's a big assumption), the problem can become chronic.

Today's New York Times has an article about a novel treatment for tendon injuries that involves using the athlete's own blood plasma to speed the healing process. the article cautions that the treatment has not been scientifically proven, but preliminary studies have been encouraging and the pace of research is accelerating.

A Promising Treatment for Athletes, in Blood

The article describes the treatment this way:

"Platelet-rich plasma is derived by placing a small amount of the patient’s blood in a filtration system or centrifuge that rotates at high speed, separating red blood cells from the platelets that release proteins and other particles involved in the body’s self-healing process, doctors said. A teaspoon or two of the remaining substance is then injected into the damaged area. The high concentration of platelets — from 3 to 10 times that of normal blood — often catalyzes the growth of new soft-tissue or bone cells. Because the substance is injected where blood would rarely go otherwise, it can deliver the healing instincts of platelets without triggering the clotting response for which platelets are typically known."

The article goes on to say that a double-blind randomized study is currently underway on 54 patients with Achilles tendon injuries.

In the mean time, Don continues his strengthening exercises, his careful warm-ups, his modest runs every other day, and hopes for the best.