Current Evidence for Clinical Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma in Aesthetic Surgery: A Systematic Review

Background: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has attracted attention in a number of surgical fields due to a wide variety of potential clinical benefits. Yet PRP has not gained wide popularity in aesthetic surgery as a result of uncertainty surrounding objective clinical evidence. Objectives: We aim to describe the current applications, define preparation and activation, explore effectiveness, and propose a classification system to facilitate comparisons across studies. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature regarding the use of platelet rich plasma in aesthetic surgery was performed. Data gathered included: PRP application, study type, subject number, centrifugation, anticoagulation, activation, PRP composition, and outcomes. Results: Thirty-eight reports were identified. Applications included injection into aging skin (29%), scalp alopecia (26%), lipofilling (21%), fractional laser (13%), and facial surgery (11%). The majority of studies (53%) were case series without controls. Leucocytes were sparsely defined (32%). The concentration of injected and/or baseline platelets was rarely clarified (18%). The mechanism of activation was described in 27 studies (71%), while anticoagulation was uncommonly elucidated (47%). While most studies (95%) claim effectiveness, objective measures were only utilized in 17 studies (47%). Conclusions: Current studies produce context-dependent results with a lack of consistent reporting of PRP preparation, composition, and activation in aesthetic applications, making meaningful meta-analysis unrealistic. Thus the method of PRP preparation warrants increased attention. We recommend a set of descriptors, FIT PAAW (described below), to produce scientifically grounded conclusions, facilitating a clearer understanding of the situations in which PRP is effective. Level of Evidence: 4 ![Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif