Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Acute Muscle Injury

In this randomized trial involving athletes with acute hamstring muscle injuries, injection of platelet-rich plasma did not result in shortening of the time until patients could resume their sports activity or in a reduction in reinjury rates, as compared with placebo. To the Editor: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are increasingly used in patients with sports-related injuries, but data from randomized trials to assess their efficacy are lacking. We performed a randomized trial to assess whether PRP was efficacious in hamstring strain, the most common acute muscle injury. 1 , 2 In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in three study centers, we randomly assigned 80 competitive and recreational athletes with acute hamstring muscle injuries (as confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging) to receive intramuscular injections of PRP or isotonic saline as a placebo. The patients, clinicians, and physiotherapists were all unaware of study-group assignments. Each . . .