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Tendon pain and swelling (called tendinopathy rather than tendinitis because the pathology is degenerative rather than inflammatory) often follows intense physical activity. Rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and eccentric strengthening are the mainstays of conservative treatment, but results often are unsatisfactory, and disability often is of long duration. Injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP; produced by simple blood fractionation and supposedly containing humoral factors that promote healing) into the injured tendon has become popular and reportedly has been used by elite athletes, including Tiger Woods (Scientific American online article).
Dutch investigators randomized 54 patients (mean age, 50) with severe Achilles ten…