There are some chronic foot issues that are not easily treatable with conventional methods. Diabetic foot ulcers, plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, and arthritis are chronic problems that do not always have a quick fix or simple treatment.

Good news! There is now a treatment option, in which platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is obtained from your blood, separated and concentrated, and then injected into or applied onto the problem site. Platelets are the part of the blood that release growth factors and other necessary healing components to mend issues in the injured tissue. The goal is to use the body’s own growth factors to accelerate the healing process. This autologous blood product is safe and accepted by your body since it comes from your own body.

Procedure Information

Once you’ve been deemed a good candidate for a PRP treatment, the Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) system will be used for the procedure.

·      A double syringe system is used to draw up blood, which is then placed in a centrifuge.

·      The centrifuge separates the platelets from the red blood cells

·      The platelets are then applied back into the injury or pain site.

It takes much less time to obtain the ACP in this system than it does for typical PRP systems, which can take up to 45 minutes. It is also safe since the whole process takes place in a closed system, significantly lowering risk of infection or other contamination issues.

For diabetic foot ulcers that take up a lot of time to close or won’t heal properly, another way to use PRP is to use a system that creates a gel that is applied directly over the open wound to encourage healing. 

Better Healing

The goal of the treatment is to speed up healing time or reduce pain and have you return back to normal activities sooner, especially for muscle or tendon injuries. Surgeons may also apply PRP to injuries to aid recovery after a sports injury that required surgery. In this way, PRP is not usually a standalone treatment, but instead, recommended with other rehab treatments like physical therapy and/or the use of orthotics or other devices.

Do you have chronic issues and wonder if you’re a good candidate for PRP treatment? Make an appointment to come see us at Texas Foot Works. Dr. Jonathan M. Kletz can assess your feet. Make an appointment today at any of our Abrams (Dallas), Athens, and Gun Barrell City, TX offices.