International Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Medicine

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Epidural Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease: A Valuable Alternative to Conventional “Palliative Medicine”

Received: Aug. 19, 2018    Accepted: Oct. 23, 2018    Published: Feb. 28, 2019
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Abstract

It is only through the understanding of lumbar spine pathophysiology and its clinical correlates that specific rational treatment for patients becomes possible. Intervertebral disc disease (IDD) is a progressive, chronic, degenerative disease. Over time, the degeneration worsens and ultimately becomes irreversible. The pathogenesis of IDD involves a complex interplay of inflammatory, immunological, and pressure-related processes. Current treatments for IDD, proposed in most ´consensus protocols´ do not correspond to the pathophysiological process involved in the IDD, as these treatments are mainly focused on relieving pain (palliative pain medicine). Surgical techniques (including fusion, laminectomy, and discectomy), aim to stabilize the spine and/or decompress the spinal or the foraminal canal thus alleviating symptoms, but these techniques are not addressed to regarding the cause of the degeneration, and sometimes even accelerate the degeneration of the adjacent segments. Recently, biological therapies have been attracting more attention in the field of intervertebral disc repair and regeneration. Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) has the ability to repair and regenerate bone and condral tissue and has a remarkable neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory actions by modulating the immune response, reversing IDD and relieving the neuropathic pain. Growth factors have been associated with the initiation of a healing cascade that leads to cellular chemotaxis, angiogenesis, synthesis of collagen matrix, and cell proliferation. This paper briefly describes the current understanding of growth factors and our experience with PRGF injected by the epidural route.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11
Published in International Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Medicine ( Volume 7, Issue 1, June 2019 )
Page(s) 1-6
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Plasma Rich in Growth Factors, Intervertebral Disc Degeneration, Axial Pain

References
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  • APA Style

    Correa Jose, Cortés Henry, Abella Patricia, García Edwin. (2019). Epidural Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease: A Valuable Alternative to Conventional “Palliative Medicine”. International Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Medicine, 7(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11

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    ACS Style

    Correa Jose; Cortés Henry; Abella Patricia; García Edwin. Epidural Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease: A Valuable Alternative to Conventional “Palliative Medicine”. Int. J. Anesth. Clin. Med. 2019, 7(1), 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11

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    AMA Style

    Correa Jose, Cortés Henry, Abella Patricia, García Edwin. Epidural Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease: A Valuable Alternative to Conventional “Palliative Medicine”. Int J Anesth Clin Med. 2019;7(1):1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11,
      author = {Correa Jose and Cortés Henry and Abella Patricia and García Edwin},
      title = {Epidural Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for Degenerative Disc Disease: A Valuable Alternative to Conventional “Palliative Medicine”},
      journal = {International Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Medicine},
      volume = {7},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-6},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijacm.20190701.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijacm.20190701.11},
      abstract = {It is only through the understanding of lumbar spine pathophysiology and its clinical correlates that specific rational treatment for patients becomes possible. Intervertebral disc disease (IDD) is a progressive, chronic, degenerative disease. Over time, the degeneration worsens and ultimately becomes irreversible. The pathogenesis of IDD involves a complex interplay of inflammatory, immunological, and pressure-related processes. Current treatments for IDD, proposed in most ´consensus protocols´ do not correspond to the pathophysiological process involved in the IDD, as these treatments are mainly focused on relieving pain (palliative pain medicine). Surgical techniques (including fusion, laminectomy, and discectomy), aim to stabilize the spine and/or decompress the spinal or the foraminal canal thus alleviating symptoms, but these techniques are not addressed to regarding the cause of the degeneration, and sometimes even accelerate the degeneration of the adjacent segments. Recently, biological therapies have been attracting more attention in the field of intervertebral disc repair and regeneration. Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) has the ability to repair and regenerate bone and condral tissue and has a remarkable neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory actions by modulating the immune response, reversing IDD and relieving the neuropathic pain. Growth factors have been associated with the initiation of a healing cascade that leads to cellular chemotaxis, angiogenesis, synthesis of collagen matrix, and cell proliferation. This paper briefly describes the current understanding of growth factors and our experience with PRGF injected by the epidural route.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
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    AU  - Cortés Henry
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    AB  - It is only through the understanding of lumbar spine pathophysiology and its clinical correlates that specific rational treatment for patients becomes possible. Intervertebral disc disease (IDD) is a progressive, chronic, degenerative disease. Over time, the degeneration worsens and ultimately becomes irreversible. The pathogenesis of IDD involves a complex interplay of inflammatory, immunological, and pressure-related processes. Current treatments for IDD, proposed in most ´consensus protocols´ do not correspond to the pathophysiological process involved in the IDD, as these treatments are mainly focused on relieving pain (palliative pain medicine). Surgical techniques (including fusion, laminectomy, and discectomy), aim to stabilize the spine and/or decompress the spinal or the foraminal canal thus alleviating symptoms, but these techniques are not addressed to regarding the cause of the degeneration, and sometimes even accelerate the degeneration of the adjacent segments. Recently, biological therapies have been attracting more attention in the field of intervertebral disc repair and regeneration. Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) has the ability to repair and regenerate bone and condral tissue and has a remarkable neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory actions by modulating the immune response, reversing IDD and relieving the neuropathic pain. Growth factors have been associated with the initiation of a healing cascade that leads to cellular chemotaxis, angiogenesis, synthesis of collagen matrix, and cell proliferation. This paper briefly describes the current understanding of growth factors and our experience with PRGF injected by the epidural route.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Anesthesiologist and Pain Unit, Fundación Universitaria JN Corpas, Bogotá, Colombia

  • Anesthesiologist and Pain Unit, Fundación Universitaria JN Corpas, Bogotá, Colombia

  • Anesthesiologist and Pain Unit, Fundación Universitaria JN Corpas, Bogotá, Colombia

  • Odontólogo UNICOC, Máster Terapias Regenerativas PRP en Odontología, Colaborador Unidad del Dolor, Corporación Esimed, Santiago de Cali, Colombia

  • Section