title: Efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an innovative clinical therapy, especially in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical improvement and tendon-to-bone healing with and without PRP therapy in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search was done in the major medical databases to evaluate the studies using PRP therapy (PRP+) or with no PRP (PRP-) for the treatment of patients with rotator cuff tears. We reviewed clinical scores such as the Constant score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Rating Scale, the Simple Shoulder Test, and the failure-to-heal rate by magnetic resonance imaging between PRP+ and PRP- groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five studies included in this review were used for a meta-analysis based on data availability. There were no statistically significant differences between PRP+ and PRP- groups for overall outcome scores (P > .05). However, the PRP+ group exhibited better healing rates postoperatively than the PRP- group (P = .03) in small/moderate full-thickness tears.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of PRP therapy in full-thickness rotator cuff repairs showed no statistically significant difference compared with no PRP therapy in clinical outcome scores, but the failure-to-heal rate was significantly decreased when PRP was used for treatment of small-to-moderately sized tears. PRP therapy may improve tendon-to-bone healing in patients with small or moderate rotator cuff tears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Center for Sport Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: You-zhi
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Center for Sport Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Center for Sport Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: locuszc@icloud.com.
authors.forename: Xiang-jin
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001182:Arthroscopy; D006801:Humans; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Rotator cuff repair; biological therapy; meta-analysis; platelet-rich plasma; tendon-to-bone healing