PRP therapy in Vienna
Some tendon irritations and early cartilage complaints improve only slowly despite taking the load off and physiotherapy. PRP therapy uses a prepared component of your own blood, which I place under ultrasound guidance where the findings are — as a supporting element within the treatment plan.
In short
In PRP therapy (platelet rich plasma) I take blood from a vein in your arm and separate it in the centrifuge. From the platelet-rich layer I obtain a plasma containing the growth factors of the platelets and place it under ultrasound control at the irritated tendon insertion or into the affected joint. I use it for stubborn irritation of tendon insertions, for partial tendon tears and for early cartilage complaints. It is meant to support the body's own repair processes, but it replaces neither the exercise programme nor, where one is needed, a surgical procedure. The response varies from person to person.
What is PRP therapy?
Besides the red and white blood cells, the blood also contains the platelets (thrombocytes), known above all for their role in stopping bleeding. But they also carry proteins called growth factors — messenger substances that the body releases when it is injured and that are involved in the remodelling of tendon, cartilage and connective tissue.
PRP therapy makes exactly this component usable: what is obtained is the fraction of your blood in which the platelets are concentrated — hence the name PRP, short for platelet rich plasma. No foreign active substance is added; your blood is processed in a closed system and used within the same appointment. I explain this in detail in the article PRP therapy explained in plain words.
How a treatment is carried out
Assessment first
Without clear findings I do not give an injection. I ask you about the course of your complaints and the loads involved, examine you clinically and image the tendon, tendon insertion and joint on ultrasound, which I have available in the practice. If questions remain open, I arrange an X-ray or an MRI outside the building.
Blood draw and preparation
On the day of treatment I take blood from a vein in your arm, just as for an ordinary blood test. In the centrifuge the components separate according to their weight; I draw off the platelet-rich portion. You do not need to fast for this.
The injection under ultrasound guidance
I image the target structure on ultrasound and guide the needle there under vision — to the tendon insertion, to the partial tear or into the joint space. You will feel the needle go in; how clearly depends on the tissue being treated.
The days afterwards
You go home without a dressing. A feeling of pressure or tightness in the treated area is possible, as is a temporary increase in symptoms; both subside again. At first I advise against intensive training; everyday movement is encouraged. The accompanying exercise programme is important; physiotherapy and exercise therapy are available in the building.
What I use it for
I use PRP therapy where tissue is irritated or impaired but its basic structure is intact:
- Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow (epicondylitis lateralis and medialis) — a stubbornly irritated tendon insertion on the outside or inside of the elbow, when taking the load off and an exercise programme have not been enough.
- Partial tendon tears — at the rotator cuff, for instance, when the tendon is partly torn but not severed; for the distinction see rotator cuff tear.
- Early cartilage complaints — with shoulder osteoarthritis or wrist osteoarthritis, when pain on loading is the main complaint.
It never stands on its own. Depending on the findings I combine it with physiotherapy, adjusted loading, ultrasound-guided injection or shockwave therapy — all conservative treatment options at a glance.
What the method can do — and what it cannot
The aim of treatment is to relieve pain and to make the tissue more resilient to load again. The plasma sends a signal in the process; it cannot force healing. I cannot assure a result: the response varies from person to person, and the scientific evidence is of differing strength depending on the condition.
The limits are clear. An injection does not make a completely torn tendon grow back on, it does not stabilise an unstable joint, and it does not rebuild worn cartilage. In such cases I discuss the surgical options with you — at the elbow, shoulder and wrist often an arthroscopic procedure.
Like any injection, this is a minor procedure with a low risk of infection. It is not used in the case of an acute infection in the treatment area, a known clotting disorder or diseases of the blood. Please tell me which medicines you take — especially blood thinners.
My practice is a private practice, in Austria a Wahlarztordination. I do not bill any public health insurer directly; you receive an invoice and submit it to your insurer — on request I take care of the submission for you. Whether PRP therapy is an option for you, I decide together with you after the examination and on the basis of the findings.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about PRP therapy
PRP stands for platelet rich plasma, that is, plasma enriched with platelets. I take blood from a vein in your arm and separate it in the centrifuge. From the platelet-rich layer I obtain a plasma containing the platelets' growth factors and place it at the treated site. Only your own blood is used.
The treatment is preceded by a conversation, a clinical examination and an ultrasound scan, so that the findings are clear. On the day of treatment, blood is drawn from your arm and then prepared in the centrifuge. I then place the plasma under ultrasound guidance. It all takes place within one appointment; afterwards you go home without a dressing.
Above all for stubborn irritation of tendon insertions such as tennis elbow and golfer's elbow, for partial tendon tears, at the rotator cuff for instance, and for early cartilage complaints at the shoulder, elbow or wrist. What these conditions have in common is that the tissue is irritated but its basic structure is intact. I clarify beforehand whether your findings fit.
An irritated tendon insertion and a narrow joint space are small targets that cannot be felt reliably beneath the skin. On ultrasound I image the structure and follow the tip of the needle in real time. That way the plasma arrives where the findings are, and vessels and nerves can be avoided.
A feeling of pressure or tightness in the treated area is possible, as is a temporary increase in symptoms. At first I advise against intensive training; everyday movement is encouraged. I discuss with you which painkillers make sense during this period. Together with you and the physiotherapy team, I determine when you can build up load again.
A result cannot be promised. PRP therapy is a supporting procedure; how clearly someone responds to it varies from person to person. The scientific evidence is of differing strength depending on the condition, and where it is thin I tell you so openly. That is why the method never stands on its own.
My practice is a private practice, in Austria a Wahlarztordination. I do not settle directly with any public health insurer; you receive an invoice and submit it to your insurer — on request I take care of the submission for you. Whether anything is refunded, and to what extent, depends on your insurer and on any supplementary insurance.
Dr. med. Martin Eigenschink
Specialist in Orthopaedics and Traumatology · Specialist in elbow, shoulder and hand surgery
Surgical and conservative treatment of the elbow, shoulder and hand, preferably minimally invasive. Practice at the Orthozentrum Döbling, 1190 Vienna. More about my background
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Medical notice: The contents of this page serve as general information. They do not replace a medical examination, diagnosis or individual advice. Medicine is a constantly evolving field — despite careful research, no guarantee can be given that the content is fully up to date.