Direct Answer: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from a patient's own blood, concentrated to increase platelet content, and injected under image guidance into a targeted area. Dr. Tortland has performed PRP since 2007 and customizes the preparation rather than treating every patient with the same commercial-kit concentration.
What Is PRP?
PRP is an autologous blood product containing concentrated platelets and plasma. In musculoskeletal medicine, PRP is used in selected joint, tendon, ligament, and soft-tissue conditions with the goal of reducing pain and supporting the body's healing response.
Why PRP Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
PRP preparations can differ in platelet concentration, leukocyte content, volume, activation, and processing method. Those differences can matter because preparation characteristics may affect how PRP is used for different tissues and diagnoses.
At Dr. Tortland's practice, blood is drawn and processed during the treatment visit. When clinically relevant, platelet concentration can be measured before and after processing rather than assuming a kit's nominal concentration is the final product.
PRP by Condition
- PRP for Knee Arthritis
- PRP for Shoulder & Rotator Cuff Conditions
- PRP for Hip Arthritis
- PRP for the Spine & Cervical Instability
- PRP for the Lumbar Spine
- PRP for Athletes
PRP vs. Other Treatments
Patients commonly ask about PRP versus cortisone, hyaluronic acid, BMA/BMAC, MFAT, or surgery. There is no single answer for every condition. The appropriate comparison depends on diagnosis, severity, treatment goal, and evidence.
What PRP Cannot Promise
PRP is not a guaranteed cure and should not be marketed as a universal cartilage-regrowth treatment. Some patients experience meaningful pain relief and improved function; others do not. Advanced structural disease may require a different strategy, including surgical consultation.
Related Treatment Guides
- PRP for Shoulder Pain in Connecticut
- Nerve Hydrodissection
- When Is Non-Surgical Treatment Appropriate for Joint Pain?
Dr. Tortland's Perspective
PRP works best when it is treated as a medical treatment, not a product. I want to know exactly what I am treating, what the evidence says, and what preparation makes sense. I am dual board-certified in Sports Medicine & OMM and Regenerative Medicine and was the first physician in the world board certified in Regenerative Medicine in 2015.
“You don't know what you don't measure.” When platelet concentration is clinically relevant, measuring the preparation provides information that a generic kit label cannot.
Start With the Complete PRP Guide
For preparation, platelet concentration, processing, image guidance, timing, and what to expect, visit PRP: Custom Concentrate.
Considering PRP with Dr. Tortland? Start with PRP: Custom Concentrate for the complete patient-facing treatment guide.