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Mother is going to have some kind of blood injection of platelets into her knee for arthritis. She will be donating her own blood for the procedure, so we've been told there won't be any kind of transfusion reaction. We don't really know much more about this treatment. Are there dangerous side effects?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is also known as blood injection therapy).It is a medical treatment being used for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. Platelet-rich plasma refers to a sample of serum (blood) plasma that has as much as four times more than the normal amount of platelets. This treatment enhances the body’s natural ability to heal itself and is used to improve healing and shorten recovery time from acute and chronic soft tissue injuries. It is used in patients with early signs of osteoarthritis. The hope is that it can help the joint cartilage repair itself before serious signs of arthritis develop. This is important because cartilage doesn't have the ability to heal itself. Growth factors in the platelets seem to help stem cells turn into chondrocytes (cartilage cells), which is just what's needed. Platelet-rich plasma injection into cartilage lesions or defects has been shown to decrease pain and improve function in humans. The side effects seem limited to wound infection (where the injection enters the body) and possible pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site. The response doesn’t last long or affect the final results.

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