Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Degenerative Disc Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Degenerative disc disease is a frequent condition and one of the main reasons to attend the consultation. It generates high rates of disability, useful years lost, as well as high economic costs for medical assistance and large monetary losses. Its treatment is generally conservative, although novel biological therapies are currently included.

Objective: To describe the main biological properties that make platelet-rich plasma an effective therapy against degenerative disc disease.

Methods: A nonsystematic review of the bibliography was carried out based on articles published, during the last ten years, in databases indexed in Infomed, such as Hinari, Ebsco, Scielo, Pubmed, Cubmed, Cocrhane, Scopus, and LILACS, in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Development: Clinical-epidemiological characteristics of degenerative disc disease were presented, as well as the biological properties that allow platelet-rich plasma to have an active function in the regeneration of the intervertebral disc or the delay of its degradation cascade. The main studies are highlighted, according to the route of administration of platelet-rich plasma and their results.

Conclusions: According to what has been published by authors, platelet-rich plasma is an effective alternative in the treatment of degenerative disc disease, due to the production of factors derived from platelets, which intervene in the degeneration of the intervertebral disc, being the intradiscal pathway the most used.