High Platelet Recovery with EmCyte PRP Kits: A Peer-Reviewed Study

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has gained significant traction in regenerative medicine, particularly for its applications in orthopedic treatments. PRP involves the concentration of a patient’s platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints.

The effectiveness of PRP treatments heavily depends on the quality and concentration of the platelets recovered during the preparation process. A recent peer-reviewed study titled “A Retrospective Analysis of a Commercially Available Platelet-Rich Plasma Kit During Clinical Use” sheds light on the high platelet recovery rates achieved using EmCyte PRP kits, providing valuable insights for clinicians and patients alike.

Overview of the Study

The study, conducted by researchers Meredith H. Prysak PhD, Christopher P. Kyriakides DO, Tyler A. Zukofsky BA, Stefan E. Reutter, Jennifer Cheng PhD, and Gregory E. Lutz MD, offers a detailed analysis of the EmCyte PurePRP II 60-mL preparation kit. The research was a collaborative effort involving institutions such as Orthobond Corporation, Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health, Regenerative SportsCare Institute, and the Department of Physiatry at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The primary objective of the study was to assess whether the EmCyte PurePRP II kit could consistently meet the manufacturer’s expectations for platelet enrichment during routine clinical use. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the impact of varying PRP yield volumes on platelet content. This retrospective review provides critical insights into the real-world performance of the EmCyte PRP kit, bridging the knowledge gap between manufacturer specifications and clinical outcomes.

Study Design and Methods

  • The study analyzed 118 PRP preparations from 105 patients.
  • Thirteen patients had two independently made preparations on different treatment days.

PRP Preparation Protocols: The study evaluated two specific protocols for PRP preparation using the EmCyte PurePRP II kit:

  • Protocol A: Designed to exclude granulocytes and maintain low hematocrit levels.
  • Protocol B: Designed to include granulocytes and allow for higher hematocrit levels.

PRP Yield Volumes: The researchers examined the impact of two different PRP yield volumes:

  • 4 mL Yield: Typically used for lumbar (intradiscal) spine injections.
  • 7 mL Yield: Used for joint and tendon injections.

Key Findings

The study yielded several significant findings regarding the performance of the EmCyte PurePRP II 60-mL preparation kit. Here are the key results:

High Platelet Recovery Rates:

  • Both Protocol A and Protocol B met or exceeded the manufacturer’s expectations for platelet enrichment. Specifically, the mean platelet counts for Protocol A were 2,149.9 × 10^3/μL for the 4-mL yield and 1,827.8 × 10^3/μL for the 7-mL yield. For Protocol B, the counts were 2,277.9 × 10^3/μL for the 4-mL yield and 2,031.6 × 10^3/μL for the 7-mL yield.
  • The platelet fold enrichment was significantly higher than the manufacturer’s reported 8-fold increase, with Protocol A achieving a mean fold change of 12.95 for the 4-mL yield and 10.07 for the 7-mL yield. Protocol B showed similar results with a fold change of 13.5 for the 4-mL yield and 10.1 for the 7-mL yield.

Impact of PRP Yield Volume:

  • The study found that modifying the PRP yield volume from 7 mL to 4 mL led to a significant increase in platelet enrichment without dramatically affecting absolute cell counts. This was particularly relevant for injections into the intervertebral disk (IVD), where volume capacity is limited.

Gender and Age Effects:

  • Gender and age were found to have minimal impact on the level of platelet enrichment. However, there was a weak correlation between age and platelet enrichment, with younger patients showing slightly higher fold enrichment. The only significant difference related to gender was that male patients had a slightly higher mean platelet fold enrichment than female patients.

Granulocyte Inclusion/Exclusion:

  • Protocol A, which excludes granulocytes, successfully maintained granulocyte levels at or below baseline, while Protocol B, which includes granulocytes, showed a 3.1 to 5.8-fold increase over baseline.

Implications for Clinical Practice

The study’s findings have several important implications for clinical practice:

Validation of EmCyte PurePRP II Kits:

  • The high platelet recovery rates achieved with the EmCyte PurePRP II kits confirm their reliability and effectiveness in routine clinical use. Clinicians can be confident that the PRP preparations will meet or exceed the manufacturer’s specifications, ensuring consistent treatment quality.
 

Optimizing PRP Preparation:

  • The significant increase in platelet enrichment observed with the 4-mL yield volume suggests that clinicians can optimize PRP preparation for specific applications, such as intradiscal injections, by adjusting the yield volume without compromising the overall cell counts.
 

Standardization and Quality Control:

  • The study underscores the importance of standardizing PRP preparation protocols to achieve consistent results. By following the manufacturer’s instructions and taking care during the preparation process, clinicians can minimize variability and ensure high-quality PRP preparations.
 

Patient-Specific Considerations:

  • Although age and gender had minimal impact on platelet enrichment, these factors should still be considered when planning PRP treatments. Tailoring the PRP preparation to individual patient characteristics can further enhance treatment outcomes.
 

Advancing PRP Research and Practice:

  • The study highlights the need for further research to correlate PRP content with clinical outcomes. Understanding the specific cellular and growth factor profiles contributing to healing can help refine PRP therapies and improve patient outcomes.

Where’s the Data?

In summary, the retrospective study of the EmCyte PurePRP II 60-mL preparation kit has demonstrated its effectiveness in achieving high platelet recovery rates, meeting and exceeding the manufacturer’s specifications. The findings validate the reliability of the EmCyte PRP kits and highlight the importance of optimizing preparation protocols to ensure consistent and high-quality PRP treatments. Clinicians can confidently use these kits in routine practice, knowing that they deliver the desired platelet concentrations crucial for effective regenerative medicine treatments.

References

  1. Prysak, M. H., Kyriakides, C. P., Zukofsky, T. A., Reutter, S. E., Cheng, J., & Lutz, G. E. (2021). A retrospective analysis of a commercially available platelet-rich plasma kit during clinical use. PM&R, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmrj.12569
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Daniel Zengel

Daniel Zengel, an executive with over 10 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device space, is dedicated to delivering industry-leading, cost-effective products to US-based medical providers. Specializing in regenerative medicine, Daniel focuses on sales, training, and marketing support to help clinics across the country successfully implement platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

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