Effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma therapy in promoting wound healing and shoulder function recovery after shoulder surgery

Abstract

Abstract This retrospective propensity score–matched cohort study examined whether Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) use was associated with improved wound healing and functional recovery after shoulder surgery. We analyzed records from Changsha Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (January 2018–December 2023) and included 170 patients undergoing rotator cuff repair (n = 100), shoulder replacement (n = 40), or subacromial decompression (n = 30). Within each surgery type, patients receiving PRP (treatment group [TG]) were matched 1:1 to patients not receiving PRP (control group [CG]) using propensity scores derived from age, sex, comorbidities, and baseline pain. Outcomes included wound healing time, postoperative pain (Visual Analog Scale [VAS]), shoulder function (Constant–Murley score), complications, length of hospital stay, and patient satisfaction. In matched analyses, PRP use was associated with shorter wound healing time and improved postoperative pain and functional outcomes across procedures, with the largest and most robust differences observed in the rotator cuff repair cohort. PRP was also associated with a shorter hospitalization duration in all three surgery cohorts. Complication rates were lower in the rotator cuff repair cohort, while no clear between-group differences were observed in the shoulder replacement or subacromial decompression cohorts. Overall patient satisfaction was higher in the PRP groups. Given the retrospective design, potential residual confounding, and smaller sample sizes in non–rotator cuff cohorts, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and warrant confirmation in prospective, surgery-specific studies using standardized PRP protocols.