PRP Muscle Injections

The Australian football league upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) ban on intramuscular injections of platelet-rich plasma.  WADA’s position remains that PRP injections into soft tissue injuries such as tendon and ligaments, are acceptable, but does not allow the use of PRP in muscle tears. Although the AFL’s medical commissioner, Dr. Peter Halcourt,  said while there is no proof injections of PRP into muscles gives athletes an advantage, he will comply with WADA’s position.

“It is a controversial move by WADA. A lot of people are critical of it and disagree with a decision to do this. It is controversial in that some experts think it is not performance-enhancing,”  Dr. Halcourt stated on the AFL website. “The AFL is WADA-compliant so if WADA goes a particular direction we will follow it.”

Platelet Rich Plasma Used on Purdue Athlete’s Injury

A new article by the Chicago Daily Herald examines Platelet Rich Plasma’s benefits in various injuries. One such injury is that of a Purdue offensive lineman with a recurring shoulder tear. His recovery following PRP is in its infancy, but his results are promising. The lineman is out of a sling 2 months earlier than he was with a previous surgery for the same injury.

Read further article analysis or the full text.

Canadian Athlete’s Sports Doctor Arrested

Dr. Tony Galea is one of Canada’s most prominent sports medicine specialists and has been arrested for “importing and selling drugs,” according to his lawyer.  Dr. Galea’s Toronto-based offices were raided on October 15 and as the investigation is ongoing, police are not commenting on it. It is reported on the CTV Olympics website however, that the “drugs” confiscated are “homeopathic medications.”

Prior to his arrest, Dr. Galea treated two-time Olympic champion skater, Patrick Chan with PRP for a torn calf muscle. With proper documentation, the treatment is permitted under international anti-doping policy, although the Olympic committee does not allow its use in muscle injuries. While the report on what Mr. Galea imported and sold is vague, it is indicated that Dr. Galea is in trouble for something other than administering PRP.

Referring to the “drugs” he was arrested for selling, Dr. Galea said, “There’s a group of homeopathic medications we use for muscle tears and they’re not available in Canada. So I had one of my assistants get them from Germany. And we use it on the treatment of muscle tears. It wasn’t Health Canada-approved, but under the College of Physicians and Surgeons, I can use substances that are not approved by Health Canada. But the patients have to be informed. So that’s what kind of was the misunderstanding with the RCMP.”

Dr. Galea said non of these homeopathic medications were used to treat Mr. Chan’s injury, distinguishing what he has been arrested for, from PRP Therapy.

Dr. Galea continued, “What we did on Patrick was purely platelets – platelets and plasma. But the problem is, when you’re doing platelets and plasma, everybody hears growth factors and they always assume that you’re using, like, banned growth hormone. They kind of blur the borderline between the two. And that’s why WADA [the World Anti-Doping Agency] has certain restrictions on what you’re using.”

Hopefully he has not been wrongfully charged for possessing the instruments used for PRP, but it sounds like his current troubles are for something more questionable.

See the article on CTV Olympics website.

NFL Players Discuss Head Traumas

A congressional hearing about the link between professional football and severe head injuries was held this week. Evidence supporting the notion that former pro football players develop Alzheimers Disease at a much higher rate than the normal population, fueled the meeting. Former NFL players testified in an effort to create legislation that would force players with concussions to be sidelined for a period of time following the injury. Injured players would have to exhibit all signs of a full recovery for a period of weeks following a concussion before they were allowed back on the field.

In the San Fransisco Chronicle, 49er players chimed in on the discussion. Here are a few player responses:

Linebacker Takeo Spikes

“We are all men before we are football players. When you walk away from the game, you don’t want to be in a position where people have to take care of you at an early age.”

Linebacker Sam Williams

“A head injury to an NFL player is like a common cold to a normal person. People don’t realize what a concussion is.

Tight End Zach Miller

“I think it just comes with the territory. You’re going to take hits. I’ve been playing football since I was little and taken plenty of hits. It’s something you know comes along with the job. Hopefully I’ll be OK later in life. I don’t want to end up with some of the things some of the older players have. If it’s linked to it, it’s kind of upsetting to see that.”

Quarterback Alex Smith

“It’s definitely good it’s getting looked into. The worst one in my mind is the Trent Green one a few years ago (when he was with Kansas City).”

Like I have wrote in multiple posts, in the business of professional sports, injured players cost organizations significant dollars. These dollars are represented not just in salary paid to sidelined athletes, but diminished team potential for the post-season. These thoughts may factor into coach’s, owner’s and some team doctor’s advise and recommendations when dealing with injured talent.

To read the responses in full, visit the San Fransisco Chronicle’s website.

Platelet-Rich Plasma In Muscle Injuries

An article by NYDailyNews.com focuses on Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy’s ability to heal sports injuries quickly. Dr. Jonathan Glashow of Mount Sinai Medical Center is the specialist who discusses the treatment process and application to muscle injuries. He cites examples of success in the world of professional baseball. “One of the banes of baseball players is that muscle can take months to get better,” says Glashow. “But we’ve had great success injecting those muscles with PRP and returning players to sport quickly.”

In the article, Glashow points to four sports-injury situations in which PRP therapy is especially effective: post-surgery, ligament sprains where surgery isn’t called for but healing is slow, muscle tears/tendonitis and mild to moderate arthritis. In these areas, studies have found that PRP therapy can slash recovery time or even aid recovery of hard-to-heal injuries, such as rotator cuff tears.

While professional athletes continue to benefit from the treatment, it is clear due to PRP Treatment’s fledgling state of use, further research is an obligation of the Ortrhopedic community.

To read this article, click here.

Blake Griffin to Receive Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment

Revealed on the LA Clippers Blog yesterday, the NBA’s #1 Draft selection Blake Griffin, suffered a non-displaced stress fracture on his left patella and will receive Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment. Griffin was injured in the last pre-season game against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, October 23. His MRI confirmed the diagnosis given by the Clippers team doctor and another specialist, Neal ElAttrache. Elattrache administered Platelet-Rich Plasma to Takashi Saito, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the year. Griffin is to return in action in 6 weeks following bone stimulation and PRP Treatment.

For more information about athletes and Platelet-Rich Plasma please read my recent posts and let us know your opinion. Would you receive PRP for a partial tendon tear? Why or why not?

Blake Griffin’s Knee Troubles = Continued Clippers’ Hunger Pangs

NBA rookie and #1 draft choice Blake Griffin, will miss the beginning of the season after breaking his left knee cap in the L.A. Clippers’ final pre-season game against the New Orleans Hornets.

Following a 2008-2009 season with just 19 wins, Los Angeles Clippers were hopeful for a fresh start after drafting Oklahoma Sooner’s college player of the year, Blake Griffin. Griffin averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in the pre-season. The Associated Press speculates the break occurred during a hard landing from a slam dunk. Blake then hobbled away gingerly. This injury will cost the Clippers’ organization fans’ season hopes and millions of dollars.

Griffin’s knee injury came on the same day I posted an article about knee injuries in the NBA. To read about the vulnerability of the knee in athletes and how they are treating these injuries, please read the post.

 

John Daly is Back Thanks to Platelet-Rich Plasma

After a rib injury that caused John Daly to withdraw from the PGA Championship in July, he withdrew from the Australian Open and PGA Tour’s Viking Classic, citing his injury. Unexpectedly, he reversed that decision shortly after and agreed to again play following what he termed “stem-cell surgery,” according to his official website.  Fox Sports reports his treatment as platelet-rich plasma injections. Daly credits his expedited return to the game to the treatment.

Reminiscent of the recovery time required by Hines Ward before the Superbowl after his Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment, Daly said his doctor cleared him to play two weeks following his “surgery.” On his website, Daly continued: “I regret the confusion the injury process has caused but I’m relieved things have begun moving in the right direction.”

 

ACL and Tendon Tear yeild Sidelined Superstars of the NBA

If you glance over a professional sports injury report, you are sure to discover the frequency of knee injuries among professional athletes. Knees are made up of tendons, ligaments, cartilage, muscle and bone. A “knee injury” could be referring to trauma to any component. With this post, I want to focus on ACL and tendon tear in the knee.

These are only a few names from this week’s NBA injury report. Just scan them to discover the recurring theme. Keep in mind the season has yet to officially begin.

Detroit Pistons’ Ben Wallace is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Guard Derrick Byars of the Chicago Bulls is on a day-to-day injury basis with a knee injury.

Cleveland Cavaliers Forward Leon Powe is out through mid-Febuary with a knee injury.

Dallas Mavericks star forward Tim Thomas is out for the start of the season with a knee injury.

Houston Rockets Tracy McGrady is out through late November with a knee injury.  With Yao Ming also out for the season, the Rockets are going to need high performance from McGrady upon his return.

Tony Battle of the New Jersey Nets is on a day-to-day injury basis with a knee injury.

Injuries in the knee have increased through the years. The Steadman-Hawkins Orthopedic Clinic in Vail, Colorado calls the increase in ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) “remarkable.”  There are additionally, two tendons in the knee vulnerable to tears that act as cables connecting muscle to bone. Why are knee injuries so common injury to athletes?

The knee is highly susceptible to injury. It is the joint between the two longest bones of the body where all the body’s weight is transferred through the knee to the foot. The knee’s stability decreases as it bends, making it more injury prone. The ligaments and menisci offer less support to bent knees. Most athlete’s playing positions involve their knees to be bent and their actions are rapid twisting movements, placing further stress on tendons and ligaments. Now imagine you are a running back in the NFL running at full speed holding the ball tightly through the line and a 350 pound lineman dives at your lower half attempting to put you on the ground.

Another common occurrence besides tendon tear is tendinitis of the knee: where the knee becomes inflamed and painful to walk on.

As athletes become stronger and more demand is placed on their powerful and rapid movements, the knee will remain highly vulnerable, costing teams successful seasons and millions of dollars.

To further explore how some professional athletes are treating knee injuries, click here and view the NYT aticle titled “Promising Treatment for Athletes, in Blood.”

Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment and Professional Athletes

Tendon tears have always been a common enemy for professional athletes and apparently, they now have a new ally in Platlet-Rich Plasma Treatment. Most recently, ESPN published an article about New York Giants’ Chris Canty, receiving the therapy for a torn hamstring. Obviously, this is not a tendon, but the use of Platelet-Rich Plasma grows wider. Before last year’s Superbowl, Hines Ward took advantage of the supposed healing accelerator, by having Platelet-Rich Plasma injected into his damaged knee.  He credited his success in the Steeler’s Superbowl victory to the treatment and since, it has gained significantly greater attention.

For those of you unfamiliar with the procedure, a patient has their blood drawn, blood healing components are then concentrated and injected back into the injury. You can read about it in greater detail on this Platelet-Rich Plasma informational site.

LA Dodgers pitcher Takashi Saito, underwent the treatment for a partially torn ligament in his throwing elbow back in July. The injury would have normally benched him for 10-14 months and ended his season. Less than 2 months after the treatment, Takashi Saito was back on the mound and in the pennant race with no pain.

PGA Tour player John Daly recently discussed how he underwent the therapy as well.

With minor tendon tears side lining players and costing teams tens of millions, team managers and doctors are likely to thrust this promising treatment further into the athletic spot light. With the advantage of a potentially expedited recovery, this is sure to be a continued ally of injured athletes for seasons to come.