Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Tendons [Video]

About the video: Can platelet-rich plasma injections heal my tendon?

Injecting PRP or stem cells into a tendon or ligament stimulates that tendon to get strong enough to permanently do exactly what you want it to do over the long haul. Listen to regenerative medicine expert Kirk Scofield, M.D. explain the process of platelet-rich plasma injections in tendons.

Meet Kirk Scofield, M.D.

Dr. Scofield’s education: Dr. Scofield completed his undergraduate studies at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington. He attended medical school and received his degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. His residency was at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado. He completed his fellowship in primary care sports medicine from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A fellowship is the highest level of advanced professional training for physicians.

Expert care

Summit’s team of experts provide innovative regenerative medicine therapies for those looking for an alternative to traditional treatments. They can treat arthritic joint pain, sports injuries, neck and back conditions—creating an environment to trigger tissue repair and healing.

Start your journey to better function and less pain. Visit our regenerative medicine services hub and find your expert, request an appointment online, or call us at (651) 968–5201 to schedule a consultation.

Summit has convenient locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We have state-of-the-art centers for comprehensive orthopedic care in Eagan, MN, Plymouth, MN, Vadnais Heights, MN, and Woodbury, MN, as well as additional community clinics throughout the metro and southern Minnesota.

More resources for you

• Meet Dr. Kirk Scofield
• Dr. Stulc Explains PRP and BMAC Regenerative Treatments
• Watch the video: Stem Cells and Injections
• Ask Dr. Scofield: Which Tendon Treatment Is Right for Me?
• Ask Dr. Hansen: How Soon Will Stem Cell Research Lead To New Medical Treatments?
• Ask Dr. Anderson: What’s the Best Achilles Tendon Repair?

Video Transcription

The process of developing a chronically painful tendon is where the tendon gets injured. Usually in the form of, like, little micro-tears within the tendon, sometimes a little bit more of a bigger tear or a partial tear. But then the body tries to heal the tendon. And there’s not really great blood supply in tendons. And so sometimes that healing process is a little bit tenuous. And you get a partial healing of the tendon, and you develop scar in there, similar to like if you cut yourself and you get a scar. And then the process of healing kind of gets in this suspended animation – just stays there. The tendon isn’t strong enough to do what you’re asking it to do. So it stretches a little bit. Abnormal blood vessels and nerves kind of invade into that space, and that causes a chronically painful tendon. So what we try to do is break that up a little bit and restimulate a new healing process. In a way, we’re kind of giving you a little bit of a new injury and then really controlling how you heal that afterward when we do PRP injections in tendons. We’re really trying to stimulate that tendon to get strong enough to permanently do exactly what you want it to do over the long haul. So we’re hoping to get you back to full 100% function.

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