Papers of The 8th Japan Scar Workshop

16. Wound Healing and Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

Kenji Kusumoto
Kansai Medical University, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka, Japan


Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is plasma including concentrated platelets. After activating PRP with calcium and autologous thrombin, large quantities of cytokines, TGF-beta, PDGF, VEGF, and bFGF, are released from alpha-granules in the platelets. PRP therapy is application of those cytokines to treat wounds, wrinkles, and hair loss. When platelets are applied during the wound healing stages, this form of PRP therapy is "aoutologous local cytokine therapy", or "autologous cocktail cytokine therapy".
For chronic wounds, ulcers and pressure sores, mild debridement and irrigation are performed at first admission followed by ordinary wound care that is continued for one month. If the wound shows no improvement, PRP therapy is started. Gelled PRP is put on the wound surface, and the site is covered with hydrocolloid dressing continuously for five to seven days. Such patients can be PRP-treated in the out-patient clinic. And this PRP therapy can be applied repeatedly. In the clinical uses of PRP, we have proposed the spreading method, packing method, local injection method, combination method, and double layered method according to the local conditions.
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