The evidence for PRP in hip surgery wound and injury repair

It is somewhat amazing that the bulk of research surrounding the use of PRP in the hip is focused on how to make wound healing better after hip replacement surgery. It is amazing because patients seek PRP to avoid surgery.

• In October 2018, in the journal Medicine, doctors found that PRP might prevent postoperative bleeding in total hip replacement patients. Postoperative bleeding can be a problem in many patients following hip replacement. (1)
• In July 2018, in the Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics, doctors wrote of the possible extensive tendon damage following hip replacement procedures. They suggested PRP may assist in the healing of these tendons. Extensive tendon damage could be a problem for some patients getting a hip replacement and severely impact the patient’s ability to walk correctly after surgery. (2)

PRP after Core Decompression

• In January 2021, researchers writing in the medical journal Clinical Rheumatology (3) sought to investigate whether PRP could make a core decompression procedure more successful. Here is what they wrote: “Avascular necrosis of femoral head is a debilitating disease frequently progressing to femoral head collapse and joint destruction. The efficacy of core decompression remains controversial. . . PRP use after core decompression provides significant pain relief, better midterm functional outcome, retards the progression, and enhances the survivorship free from reoperation for hip arthroplasty and femoral head collapse in early stages of avascular necrosis of hip than core decompression alone.”

1 Wang X, Ma J, Wang Z, Xiao L. The clinical efficacy of using autologous platelet-rich plasma in total hip arthroplasty: A retrospective comparative study. Medicine. 2018 Oct 1;97(40):e12451. [Google Scholar]
2 Aavikko A, Puhakka J, Haapala J, Kukkonen J, Mäkelä K, Kosola J. Perioperative platelet rich plasma (PRP) in total hip arthroplasty through the Hardinge approach: protocol to study the effectiveness for gluteus medius healing. Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics. 2018 Dec 1;5(1):23. [Google Scholar]
3 Aggarwal AK, Poornalingam K, Jain A, Prakash M. Combining platelet-rich plasma instillation with core decompression improves functional outcome and delays progression in early-stage avascular necrosis of femoral head: a 4.5-to 6-year prospective randomized comparative study. The Journal of Arthroplasty. 2021 Jan 1;36(1):54-61.