TL;DR: A PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection takes a small sample of your own blood, concentrates the platelets in a centrifuge, and delivers the preparation by image-guided injection in the same visit. At Innovare Tx in Addison, TX, we offer PRP injections as a single in-office visit of 45 to 90 minutes, as part of our broader orthobiologic medicine program. PRP is investigational and not FDA-approved for the treatment of any specific orthopedic condition. The American College of Rheumatology’s 2026 osteoarthritis guideline strongly recommends against PRP and stem cell injections for knee and hip osteoarthritis. Individual results vary and are not guaranteed.
If you have been reading about PRP, it helps to separate what it is from what is claimed for it. This guide explains what platelet-rich plasma is, what is in the preparation, where the evidence and guidelines stand, and what the visit looks like, from a provider with 27 years of clinical experience.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Your blood is made of four main components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma (the liquid), and platelets. Most people know platelets for clotting. They also carry growth factors, signaling proteins involved in the body’s normal response to injury.
Platelet-rich plasma is plasma with the platelet count concentrated above what circulates in normal blood. The concentration varies with the preparation method.
What’s Actually Inside a PRP Injection?
A prepared PRP sample contains:
- Concentrated platelets — from your own blood.
- Growth factors — proteins such as PDGF, TGF-β, and VEGF, carried by platelets.
- Plasma proteins — from the liquid portion of your blood.
- Other signaling molecules — also present in plasma. What they do after an injection is still being studied.
Because PRP is made entirely from your own blood, there is no donor material and minimal risk of allergic reaction or rejection. That is a property of autologous material, not a statement about results.
What Is Being Studied
Researchers study PRP because of the role platelets and growth factors play in the body’s normal response to injury. Whether injecting concentrated platelets changes symptoms or tissue in any specific condition has not been established, and PRP is considered investigational. It is not FDA-approved for the treatment of any specific orthopedic condition, including osteoarthritis.
The American College of Rheumatology’s 2026 update to its osteoarthritis guideline strongly recommends against PRP treatment for knee and hip osteoarthritis, as its 2019 guideline did. We tell you that up front so you can weigh it with your provider.
What the PRP Procedure Looks Like
A PRP visit at Innovare Tx is one appointment of 45 to 90 minutes:
- Blood draw — a small sample is taken, much like routine bloodwork.
- Centrifugation — the sample is spun to separate and concentrate the platelets. It is minimally manipulated.
- Guided injection — the concentrated plasma is injected into the target area using ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance.
We use local anesthetic for comfort. Many patients describe the experience as uncomfortable rather than painful, though this varies. For how PRP differs from a bone marrow preparation, see BMAC and PRP compared as procedures.
After the Injection
Soreness and swelling at the injection site for a few days is common. Your provider will give you aftercare instructions, including what to do about anti-inflammatory medication, and a follow-up appointment. Spreading redness, fever, or pain that keeps getting worse is a reason to call.
We do not publish an improvement timeline, because nobody can promise one, and some people notice no change. Formal physical therapy is not typically needed after PRP; when it is indicated, our physical therapist works alongside your provider.
Is PRP right for me?
That is decided at a clinical evaluation with imaging review, not on a web page. PRP may not be suitable if you have an active infection at the site or certain blood disorders. Ask your provider what the guideline position means for you, and what the other options are.
Does a PRP injection hurt?
Many patients find the procedure uncomfortable rather than painful. We numb the area with local anesthetic, and the injection itself takes only a few minutes. Soreness for a few days afterward is common.
How long until I would notice a change?
Nobody can promise that you will notice a change, or when. Your provider sets a follow-up date, and results vary and are not guaranteed.
Is PRP made from someone else’s blood?
No. PRP is prepared entirely from your own blood, drawn the same day, concentrated, and injected back into you. There is no donor material and, because the material is your own, minimal risk of rejection. To learn how PRP fits alongside other options, see our orthobiologic medicine overview or contact us at (214) 233-3094.
PRP, PPP, BMAC, and A2M are autologous procedures prepared from your own blood or bone marrow. They are considered investigational and are not FDA-approved for the treatment of any specific orthopedic condition, including osteoarthritis. Individual results are not guaranteed. Any decision to pursue an orthobiologic procedure should be made with your provider after a clinical evaluation.
