Rehabilitation and return to activity after platelet-rich plasma injections in chronic tendinopathies: Consensus from international experts.
Vincent Gremeaux, Martin Lamontagne, Valérie Bélanger and 9 others
PMID 41546552WHAT IT FOUND
Experts agreed to avoid NSAIDs for two weeks and start loading exercises within 5 to 10 days after PRP injections for tendinopathy.
They found no consensus on using ice or immobilization immediately after the procedure.
Key findings
01Consensus was reached to avoid NSAIDs for the first few weeks after PRP injection, with experts suggesting a two-week period.
02Experts agreed that tendon rehabilitation should begin quickly, specifically 5 to 10 days after the injection, starting with sub-painful isometric and dynamic work.
03There was no consensus on immediate post-procedure care, with experts remaining uncertain about the use of ice, partial unloading, or immobilization braces.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study is based entirely on expert opinion because there is a lack of high-quality evidence on post-PRP rehabilitation protocols. All experts were from French-speaking countries, which may introduce cultural bias and limit the generalizability of the recommendations to other healthcare systems. The panel was small (23 experts) and dominated by sports medicine physicians and PMR doctors, with only one orthopedic surgeon and four rheumatologists. There was a nearly two-year gap between the initial literature review and the final voting rounds, though an additional search found no new tendinopathy studies.
Declared interests
The authors are members of GRIIP (International Research Group on Platelet Injections), which may have an interest in the standardization and promotion of PRP treatments.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these recommendations as evidence that PRP works or that this specific protocol improves outcomes compared to others. These are expert opinions formed to fill a gap in the literature, not results from a clinical trial testing efficacy.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →