Knee Tendon Surgery Recovery: The Difference Between Regular Bedside PRP and Regenexx SCP


Can PRP differences and the type of PRP used impact knee tendon surgery recovery?

This morning I’d like to again highlight the difference between basic bedside platelet rich plasma and the Regenexx-SCP procedure. SCP means Super Concentrated Platelets. To see a simple video of the PRP differences, click play above. To better illustrate some of the practical differences, lets look at a case from N.J. Sports Medicine and Dr. Malanga, a physician in our Regenexx provider network.  The patient was a 21 year old college basketball player with a history of Osgood Schlatter disease (big bump below the knee where the knee cap tendon attaches to bone) and patellar tendinitis. He had failed conservative treatment consisting of physical therapy and NSAIDs. A previous MRI from 02/2011 showed that he had a partial thickness tear of the patellar tendon (knee cap tendon below the knee).  Now here comes the interesting part. From 2010-12 he had four platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections using a simple bedside centrifuge. This didn’t resolve the issue. He then had a surgical debridement of the area with bedside centrifuge PRP added. That didn’t work either. At this point he was looking at surgery and a prolonged knee tendon surgery recovery.  Thankfully for his basketball season he then saw Dr. Malanga and his team and an ultrasound showed the area below (an area of dead and ossified tissue in the tendon). Note the dashed circle in the patellar tendon showing the bright area. He then finally underwent the Regenexx-SCP procedure with much more concentrated bloodless platelet rich plasma and aggressive percutaneous tenotomy (an exacting injection to break up the ossified area under ultrasound guidance (referred to as Tenex)).

Here’s the follow-up e-mail he just sent Dr. Malanga:

“I was the basketball player from Massachusetts that you treated a knee with PRP and Tenex last August. I misplaced your email address, but I wanted to let you know that I was the MVP of my summer league this year. I couldn’t have done it without your help in getting me healthy. Thank you again Doc from the bottom of my heart. Hope you are doing well. Thanks!”

We’re very happy that given PRP differences, a more advanced PRP seems to have been what helped this basketball player return to full MVP status!

knee tendon surgery recovery

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

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