The use of platelet-rich plasma in intervertebral disc regeneration: a review of preclinical studies and clinical experiments

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a prevalent disease that usually starts from the third decade of life and it is considered as one of the reasons contributing to social and economic problems. The results of several studies have shown that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has the ability to stimulate cell growth and proliferation of extracellular matrix. However, studies for IDD have so far mostly been restricted. So, further studies are required to clarify the role of PRP on the prevention and treatment of the IDD disease. The purpose of this review article was to summarize and analyze the current preclinical studies and clinical evidence on using platelet-rich plasma in the IDD treatment.
Literature search was performed through various combinations of the following keywords: Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, Platelet Rich Plasma, PRP, Intervertebral disc regeneration. Papers included in our review cover the period between 2006 and 2016. At the end of the review process, articles related to searches have been evaluated in 2 separate studies as "In vitro" and "In vivo" condition. In this study, several clinical studies and a clinical case study were also evaluated. All the included studies led to positive preclinical and clinical results.
The results have shown a positive impact on the use of PRP for the treatment of disc degeneration but it is not possible to draw definitive evidence about the use of PRP in IVD regeneration. In this field, further studies should be done in the future.