An Overview of Platelet Rich Plasma Cost and Ideal PRP Candidates

Athletes and individuals who remain active on a regular basis put their bodies through a significant amount of stress every time they engage in the sports they love, whether it be running, football or skiing. Sports injuries plague individuals of all ages and continue to be one of the main reasons patients visit Dr. Matthew Provencher’s orthopedic office, serving patients in Denver, Vail and Aspen, Colorado. Countless people who desire to stay active when suffering from a tendon, ligament or muscle injury search for the next innovative treatment to help accelerate healing. Platelet rich plasma injections, commonly known as PRP injections, have gained popularity as an orthopedic treatment that can speed up a patient’s healing process following an injury. In ideal candidates, platelet rich plasma cost is far more beneficial than undergoing a surgical procedure and lengthy rehabilitation process.

What are PRP Injections?

Platelet rich plasma is a form of biologic treatment that utilizes the body’s natural healing abilities for accelerated healing after an orthopedic injury. PRP injections are becoming more widely used and recognized around the world as a safe, effective and non-invasive treatment option for damaged ligaments, tendons and muscles. The treatment is also shown to help alleviate painful osteoarthritis symptoms in many patients.

To understand platelet rich plasma injections, patients must first understand human blood and its healing abilities. Human blood is composed of four main structures – platelets, plasma, white blood cells and red blood cells. After many years of medical research, it has been proven that platelets naturally move towards an injured area and release growth factors to help it heal. Growth factors are capable of stimulating cellular growth and accelerating healing. It has been shown that PRP injections release 3-5 times the growth factors compared to regular human blood.

Shoulder Injections | Vail CO

Common Uses of Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Dr. Provencher utilizes platelet rich plasma injections for a number of orthopedic injuries and conditions, including:

  • Knee- Ligament injuries, meniscus tears, patellar tendonitis, patellar instability and arthritis
  • Shoulder– Rotator cuff injuries, biceps tendonitis, labral and SLAP tears, instability and arthritis

There is no age limit to the healing benefits of PRP injections. This biologic treatment may be an ideal treatment option for patients who have not experienced alleviated symptoms after non-surgical measures, such as physical therapy, modified activities and medication, and are searching for a surgical alternative.

How are Platelet Rich Plasma Injections Performed?

Platelet rich plasma injections are a simple treatment option for many orthopedic injuries compared to surgery. Dr. Provencher begins this biologic treatment by performing a simple blood draw from the patient. The patient’s blood is then spun down in a special machine to separate the four main structures. Once the platelet rich plasma is removed from the other structures, the plasma is injected directly into the damaged area.

What is Platelet Rich Plasma Cost?

Total platelet rich plasma cost with Dr. Provencher varies depending on injury severity, number of required injections, etc. Since PRP injections are still considered experimental in the medical field, insurance does not cover the procedure. All platelet rich plasma injections are cash pay only.

Dr. Matthew Provencher is actively involved in PRP uses, research and education so patients should not be concerned they are receiving a treatment that is not necessary or beneficial to their overall healing. He follows a strict set of protocols to ensure a patient is an ideal candidate for platelet rich plasma injections in order to eliminate any concerns about platelet rich plasma cost and outcome. Many patients find comfort in platelet rich plasma cost after discussing the treatment option in great detail with Dr. Provencher.

Clinical research shows that the minimum level for the concentration of platelets necessary to achieve positive results from PRP injections is 5-7 times that of the blood platelet count. Studies done in head to head comparisons have repeatedly shown that inexpensive and inferior kits used by some physicians only produce 2-3 times the blood platelet concentrate. The kits used by Dr. Provencher and his orthopedic team are FDA approved and have been shown to produce at least 7-9 times concentrate of platelets.

For more information on platelet rich plasma injections (PRP injections), or platelet rich plasma cost for individuals in the Denver, Vail and the Aspen, Colorado area, please contact the orthopedic office of Dr. Matthew Provencher.  

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