Elche, 31/07/2019. Treatment with growth factors and platelet-rich plasma are more and more used in modern medicine to treat lesions and pathologies in areas so different as ophthalmology, oral surgery, dermatology or orthopaedics. Last years, studies of the platelets and biological mediators that platelets contain, allow to conceive a type of medical treatment based on autologous plasma preparation (removed from the own patient) that is applied to some injuries, improving tissue regeneration.
“The use of autologous treatment with plasma is not new in medicine. What we found out recently is its application in spine pathologies treatment”, declared Dr. José Navarro Moncho., neurosurgeon specialised in spine of IMED Elche.
What is spondylolisthesis?
Spondylolisthesis is produced when a vertebra is displaced forward concerning the vertebra below, that can cause different problems, included facet joints break and nerves irritation. Generally, can be considered as not severe back pathology, but if it is not treated properly can cause chronic pain that disable the patient and require a serious intervention to decompress, correct unaligned vertebras position and fi them in its final position through titanium bars and screws.
“Till now we treated this pathology with different options, more or less conservatives depending on the acuteness level of the problem. Now we found a new path that allows quality of life for our patients with a non aggressive treatment”, declared Dr. Navarro.
Spondylolisthsis treatment with biological mediators.
Dr. Navarro explain that “treatment with biological mediators for spondylolysis us e three substances obtained from the own patient’s blood: platelet-rich plasma, lysed platelets concentrate and poor platelet plasma”. These three types of ortho-biological material are applied at different levels. On one hand, platelet-rich plasma is injected on the facet joint that is settled between two injured vertebras; platelet lysed is injected around sore spinal roots caused by vertebras displacement and on the inside of the intervertebral disc; and platelet-poor plasma is injected on the stunted back muscles.
Having this intervention frequently can stop degeneration trend and symptoms progression, sustaining activity level and quality of life. “This option offer a conservative solution, but with a remarkable level of efficiency to patients with spondylolisthesis and other spine degenerative process improving tremendously its quality of life, reducing the risk of suffering chronic pain and retarding or avoiding surgical intervention needs”.
