Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy in Athletes Returning to Sport: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has garnered increasing attention in sports medicine due to its proposed ability to accelerate tissue healing and reduce downtime following musculoskeletal injuries. In athletes, rapid return to pre-injury performance is paramount, yet evidence regarding the efficacy of PRP in facilitating earlier and safer return to sport remains inconclusive. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in athletes returning to sport.Methods: This prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a single sports medicine facility in India. Athletes with acute or subacute sports-related tendon injuries were enrolled and randomized into two groups. One group (PRP) received ultrasound-guided PRP injection, and another group (Control) received saline as a placebo injection, followed by a standardized rehabilitation protocol. The primary outcome measure was time to return to full sports participation, and secondary outcomes included pain intensity using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and function using Cincinnati Sports Activity Scale assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. Safety and adverse events were also documented.Results: A total of 60 participants were included in this study. Athletes who received PRP demonstrated a significantly shorter mean time to return to sport (5.9 ± 1.2 weeks) compared to controls (7.4 ± 1.6 weeks; p<0.01). Moreover, the PRP group exhibited marked improvements in VAS pain scores and functional ratings at both 4 and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). No severe adverse events were recorded; mild, transient post-injection pain was the most frequently reported side effect in both groups.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PRP therapy can be a viable adjunct in the management of sports-related tendon injuries, potentially expediting return-to-play timelines and improving pain and function in the short to mid-term. Further large-scale, multicenter trials are warranted to confirm these results and optimize PRP preparation and delivery methods.