Science News: Platelet-Poor Plasma for Muscle Injuries
Published July 16, 2025
Science News
Submitted by: Oksana Sayko, MD
Edited by: Rebecca O'Bryan
Citation: Kruse RC, Eisenmann J, Glass NA, Petrachaianan K, Wilz L. Platelet-Poor Versus Platelet-Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Acute Thigh Muscle Injuries. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2025;104(3):250-256. doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000002591
Summary: To date, the majority of literature on the use of platelet-poor plasma (PPP) for muscle injuries is limited to basic science and animal studies. The current clinical evidence is scarce and limited to case reports and series, with only one randomized controlled trial.
The aim of this study was to determine whether patients treated with PPP after an acute thigh muscle injury would have a faster return to activity compared with patients treated with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). This quasi-experimental study included 100 patients (ages16鈥�45) with an acute thigh muscle injury. All injuries occurred no more than 4 weeks before treatment. They were diagnosed by sports ultrasound and treated with either PRP or PPP followed by a course of structured rehabilitation. The primary outcome was the number of days until unrestricted participation in sport, while the secondary outcome was the rate of recurrent injury within 12 months.
The time until full, unrestricted participation in sport was significantly lower in the PPP group compared with the PRP group for all injury grades, with patients in the PPP group on average returning to unrestricted participation in sport 22.89 days more quickly than the PRP group (P < 0.001). In addition, no significant difference in recurrent injury up to 12 months after procedure was seen between groups (P = 0.967).
PPP resulted in faster return to sport than PRP for acute thigh muscle injuries with a noninferior injury recurrence rate. These findings suggest that future high level studies comparing PPP and PRP for the treatment of thigh muscle injuries should be considered.
Comments: This study is the first to demonstrate that PPP for the treatment of acute thigh muscle injuries results in faster return to sport compared with acute thigh muscle injuries treated with platelet-rich plasma, with similar recurrent injury rates.