Regenerative medicine
PRP for joints and tendons in Lugano
An autologous preparation from the patient's blood: after drawing 8–30 ml, it is centrifuged and injected into the tissue being treated. Platelets carry growth factors and cytokines. Indication, protocol and timing are defined at the specialist visit.
- 8–30 ml of blood, centrifugation, autologous cells only
- Osteoarthritis, tendons, wounds, skin and hair
- Can sit alongside laser, described on the PRP and laser page
How it is obtained
Draw and centrifugation
After drawing 8–30 ml into special tubes, platelet-rich plasma is prepared by centrifugation. Platelets contain growth factors and cytokines that stimulate cell proliferation, angiogenesis and the formation of connective tissue.
Injection
PRP is injected into the damaged tissue. Only autologous cells from the patient's own blood are used.
Combination with laser
Laser irradiation can sit alongside the injection. That combination, especially on the skin, is on the PRP and laser page.
What knee studies say
In a randomised trial of PRP for knee osteoarthritis (Patel 2013), improvement appeared within 2–3 weeks and lasted to the 6-month check, with slight worsening at 6 months. A meta-analysis of 18 studies (Belk 2021) compared PRP and hyaluronic acid: after 11 months on average, mean WOMAC improvement was 44.7% with PRP against 12.6% with hyaluronic acid. A large placebo-controlled trial (288 people, JAMA 2021) found no difference from a saline injection after 12 months, however, and the 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline recommends against PRP in knee and hip osteoarthritis because preparations vary.
When we offer it
Orthopaedics
Osteoarthritis, when there is an indication for PRP; knee studies disagree.
Tendons
Tendinopathy and inflammation where tendons attach, injected under ultrasound guidance.
Wounds
Support for healing chronic ulcers, such as diabetic foot ulcers, within the visit.
Skin and hair
Skin rejuvenation, scars and support against hair loss. In reviews of the face the effect is generally modest; details are on the PRP and laser page.
How it is tolerated
Only cells from the patient's own blood are used. As with any injection, pain, redness, swelling or a small bruise can appear in the treated area, usually short-lived. PRP is not given during pregnancy, with an ongoing infection, with an active tumour or on anticoagulant therapy: tell us at the visit.
Growth factors
What they are
Proteins that drive tissue proliferation and repair: skin, cartilage, tendons and hair. They stimulate cell proliferation, angiogenesis and the formation of connective tissue. In PRP they arrive with the platelets, together with cytokines.
Not a treatment in themselves
At the practice, growth factors arrive with PRP, from the patient's blood, and with exosomes, vesicles that carry proteins and molecular messages between cells without replicating them. There is no third injectable product of isolated factors; the studies cited here assess PRP.
Frequently asked questions
Is skin PRP the same as joint PRP?
The draw and centrifugation are the same (8–30 ml). The target changes: joints and tendons on this page; the skin on the PRP and laser page.
Is it painful?
The injection can sting; local anaesthetic or anaesthetic cream is used if needed.
And for tendons, wounds and hair?
In tendinopathy, a meta-analysis of 18 trials found the best results with leukocyte-rich PRP injected under ultrasound guidance (Fitzpatrick 2017); in the Achilles tendon, however, a controlled trial found no difference from placebo (de Vos 2010). In diabetic foot ulcers PRP may improve healing, on low-quality evidence (Cochrane 2016). In hair loss, moderate evidence of greater density and less shedding (Anitua 2025).
How many sessions are needed?
The number of sessions is decided with you at the visit, according to the complaint and how you respond to treatment.
Are growth factors a treatment in themselves?
No. They arrive with the PRP described on this page and with exosomes. Which preparation to use is decided at the visit.
Is PRP covered by insurance?
The physician holds the RME quality label for acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and in Ticino the practice bills complementary insurers: with complementary insurance, under certain conditions, the treatment can be reimbursed. Patients with basic insurance only receive a clear cost estimate at the visit and pay directly.
Scientific sources
- Patel S, et al. Treatment with platelet-rich plasma is more effective than placebo for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial. Am J Sports Med. 2013;41:356–364. doi:10.1177/0363546512471299
- Belk JW, et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Hyaluronic Acid for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Sports Med. 2021;49:249–260. doi:10.1177/0363546520909397
- Andia I, Maffulli N. Platelet-rich plasma for managing pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2013;9:721–730. doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2013.141
- Bennell KL, et al. Effect of Intra-articular Platelet-Rich Plasma vs Placebo Injection on Pain and Medial Tibial Cartilage Volume in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: The RESTORE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021;326:2021–2030. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.19415
- Kolasinski SL, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee. Arthritis Care Res. 2020;72:149–162. doi:10.1002/acr.24131
- Fitzpatrick J, et al. The Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Tendinopathy: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials. Am J Sports Med. 2017;45:226–233. doi:10.1177/0363546516643716
- de Vos RJ, et al. Platelet-rich plasma injection for chronic Achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2010;303:144–149. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1986
- Martinez-Zapata MJ, et al. Autologous platelet-rich plasma for treating chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(5):CD006899. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006899.pub3
- Anitua E, et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Management of Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Evidence. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2025;15:3213–3252. doi:10.1007/s13555-025-01542-8
Related treatments
This therapy is part of Regenerative medicine and Laser therapy.
Not sure which treatment is right for you?
For musculoskeletal pain the practice follows several routes, often combined. The specialist visit, with ultrasound when needed, clarifies which one is indicated in your case.
Rheumatology
Diagnosis and treatment plan: the first visit when the pain is in the joints, back or tendons.
Acupuncture
Needles, needle-free laser or ear acupuncture, performed by a specialist physician.
Interventional pain therapy
Ultrasound-guided injections of joints and soft tissues, with hyaluronic acid or PRP when indicated.
The information on this page is for general information only and does not replace medical advice. The indication, expected benefits and risks of every treatment are assessed individually during the specialist consultation.
Let's assess PRP together
Indication, protocol and timing are defined after the specialist consultation.
We accept referrals and second-opinion requests from your physician, via HIN. dr.djordjevic@hin.ch
How to reach us
In Lugano, a short walk from USI and EOC
The practice is centrally located in Italian-speaking Switzerland, also reachable by car and by train from Mendrisio, Bellinzona, Locarno and Chiasso.
By car: the practice's own car park is right in front. By public transport: a short walk from USI.
Address
Via Alessandro Volta 1
6900 Lugano
Opening hours
Monday–Friday 08:00–16:30
Saturday and Sunday closed
Phone
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