Typically, the purpose of our treatment programs is to mitigate orthopedic injury without surgery and reduce pain from chronic and acute conditions. When a patient thinks of Orthagenex, they will typically think of its premier method of treatment– high dose platelet rich plasma. Patients would be correct to assume that the nature of high dose platelet rich plasma treatments with Orthagenex are typically used for injury repair but what they may not know is that it can also be used for facial rejuvenation.
A 2020 study evaluating the efficacy of platelet rich plasma for facial rejuvenation was conducted by Dr. Eitan Mijiritsky found that, “[g]rowth factors (GFs) play a vital role in cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and angiogenesis. Autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) which contain high levels of GFs make them especially suitable for periodontal regeneration and facial rejuvenation. The main generations of APCs presented are platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and concentrated growth factor (CGF) techniques”. When Orthagenex refers to high dose platelet rich plasma, it is referring specifically to a high dose of these growth factors that are found in the platelets.
For one who might be wholly unfamiliar with the concept of platelet rich plasma, a study conducted by the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University found that, “[p]latelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a platelet concentrate extracted from autologous blood by centrifugation, which is a kind of bioactive substance” (Wang 2022). Patients might wonder how this works and whether it is safe– especially when hearing Dr. Wang refer to it as a “bioactive substance”. Further evaluation and a deeper understanding of platelet rich plasma will help patients understand its legitimacy as a method for regrowth and facial rejuvenation. With the advancement of medical technology, we are now able to assist the body in rejuvenating itself through high dose platelet rich plasma. From autologous blood (a patient’s own blood), we are able to take platelets in a concentrated form. When blood is taken from us and put in a centrifuge, it is spun around quickly to separate red blood cells from white blood cells as well as concentrate the number of platelets together. These concentrated platelets with a high concentration of growth factors, once extracted and applied to the face, act as a rejuvenating substance.
Returning to Dr. Mijiritsky’s study for a more in-depth review on how PRP can relate to both healing wounds and facial rejuvenation, the study found that, “PRP plays a vital role in wound healing. The wound-healing process can be divided into three stages: biochemical activation, cellular activation and cellular response. First, there is a conversion of the mechanical injury into biochemical signals. This cascade is triggered by the Hageman factor in the serum. As a result of the disruption of microcirculation, the plasma comes into contact with tissue proteins and the basement membrane, activating the Hageman factor and platelets. The clotting cascade enables fibrin to facilitate homeostasis, and it activates thrombin. Thrombin, calcium chloride and ADP trigger the activation of platelets, leading to the release of alpha granules from platelets, with the subsequent secretion of a large variety of growth and differentiation factors.
The complement cascade also includes the release of substances that are important for wound repair. During this process, bradykinin is produced, which causes vasodilatation and the activation of plasminogen to produce plasmin, which degrades the fibrin. The fibrin degradation causes monocyte migration and vasodilatation. The third stage is the cellular response. In this stage, GFs are released from platelets. These GFs signal the local epithelial and mesenchymal cells to migrate, divide and enhance the synthesis of the collagen matrix. The platelet count in PRP is 338% of the platelet count of the whole blood. PRP enhances bone deposition and the quality of bone regeneration during bone augmentation as GFs from autologous blood are delivered to the treatment site. Moreover, platelet and GF concentrations in PRP are, on average, 3‒5 times higher in PRP than in peripheral blood”. In short, we can conclude that while platelet rich plasma plays a vital role in treating and repairing wounds, its same growth factors also contribute to enhancement of collagen and bones.
Another study evaluating the nature of platelet rich plasma for facial rejuvenation was conducted by dermatologist Elizabeth Schoenberg and her associates. In this study, the researchers determined both the relevancy of PRP for facial rejuvenation and the types of ailments it could treat: “With aging, the skin loses some of its ability to repair and regenerate. Because PRP contains important growth factors for healing, it has been studied for cutaneous [skin] rejuvenation. Studies have evaluated the use of topical and intradermal PRP used alone and in conjunction with resurfacing treatments. In one study, 12 women underwent three monthly treatments of intradermal PRP to the forehead, crow’s feet areas, cheeks, and nasolabial folds. The efficacy, as defined by reduction in wrinkles” (2020).
While this study conducted by Schoenberg and her colleagues concludes that (as of 2020) the research for skin rejuvenation is limited they also conclude that, “. . . there is some early evidence to suggest that PRP may be useful for rejuvenation”. So, while patients can count on Orthagenex to provide platelet rich plasma for treating wounds and relieving pain from chronic conditions, they can also turn to Orthagenex for facial rejuvenation procedures with high dose PRP. Once patients are familiar and comfortable with the concepts and methods of treatment with Orthagenex’s high dose platelet rich plasma, they will begin to see how it is a treatment that could both help with pain and have added benefits like collagen, bone enhancement, and skin rejuvenation.