Research Proposal

Adrienne Halley
Intern/Mentor G/T
2016-2017

Research Title: Platelet Rich Plasma vs. Hyperbaric Oxygen: Which One Works Best?

Overview of Research
This research project is a comparative analysis of two types of musculoskeletal injury treatments: platelet rich plasma
(PRP) and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). These methods will be evaluated in the injuries they can successfully treat, how they
enhance the healing process, and the ratio of costs to benefits that comes with each treatment type. As athletes are becoming
injured more frequently (due to a higher, more intense investment in their sport at a younger age), sports medicine doctors are
trying to find the most effective non-surgical treatments that can shorten the healing time of these injuries and get athletes back to
their regular lifestyle.

Background and History of the Issue

The most widely-known use of HBO treatment is its use as a depressurizer for deep sea divers with decompression
sickness (more commonly known as the bends), and was ignored as a treatment in any other aspects due to the fact that it did
nothing to improve musculoskeletal injuries. However, during the early 1930s it was reconsidered as a treatment for these types
of injuries, and techniques when using these treatments such as duration and intervals have been altered. Today it is used to treat
specific tissue injuries such as those of the leg, elbow, and even the brain (concussions). PRP treatment was first created in the
late 1900s and has been increasing in popularity throughout the medical world since then.
Today, both treatments are still undergoing experimentation. Overall, HBO has had about an 80-85% success rate,
while PRP has had closer to 90% success, but these numbers do fluctuate greatly due to factors such as variety in patients
(injuries not always consistent), different procedure techniques for each treatment, and the fact that there are more experiments
done on animals than on humans for each.

Problem Statement and Rationale

It is critical that non-surgical techniques such as HBO and PRP are developed in order to prevent over-operating.
Surgery is much more expensive, requires a longer recovery time, and is much more invasive than non-surgical methods.
Therefore, these methods, along with others, should be a priority in order to ensure athlete health. If a non-surgical route is a
possible treatment for an injury, then it should be the first thing considered by a doctor. In the case that the research proves that
PRP and/or HBO treatments are in fact effective, then they should be more common in the sports medicine field in treating
musculoskeletal injuries in athletes.

Research Methodology (include the four subheadings listed below to organize this section)

Research Question and Hypothesis

If non-surgical treatments such as HBO and PRP for tissue injuries prove to be effective then they should be utilized
more frequently in the field of sports medicine because patients will have shorter recovery times and more efficient and
even more natural healing processes.

Basis of Hypothesis
The hypothesis supports the idea of less is more. If a non-surgical treatment can prove to be as effective as other
treatments for specific injuries, then they should be performed more because they have shorter healing times and are less
expensive. As techniques and technology are advancing, PRP and HBO are showing higher success rates (Ex. PRP injections
using a specific technique where the needle is injected into multiple points on the tendon has shown higher success than other
techniques in the past). Soon enough, doctors will come up with other treatment methods or more effective methods for HBO and
PRP that will allow them to be recognized in the medical world.
 Research Design
The research being pursued in this proposal is causal-comparative, since the effects of HBO and PRP of injuries are
being observed in order to determine which is more effective through the use of data from previously existing sources. This data
and support will be gathered through the use of secondary research (previously existing sources). This evaluation will determine
which method is more beneficial.

Operational Definitions
Platelet rich plasma- Injection of autologous blood platelets in order to increase growth factors in an injured
area
Growth factors- White blood cells/other healing components
Hyperbaric oxygen- Patient breathes in pure oxygen for up to two hours in order to promote angiogenesis
Angiogenesis- Regeneration of damaged blood cells; allows for more blood flow
Musculoskeletal injury- and tissue, muscle, or bone injury in any part of the body (for this research,
preferably the elbow or knee
Product Overview
The aim for this research would be to present the findings in the form of a published paper/article. This would allow
easy access for anyone interested in treatment methods for injuries and the best way to go about treating these injuries effectively.
It would include data from various, pre-existing experiments, all compiled into one paper to show which treatment (HBO or PRP)
should be preferred by sports medicine doctors.
There are multiple possible audiences this research is intended for: current doctors who should be open to alternatives
to surgery if possible, future doctors who should be learning about the various ways a patient can be treated, and even patients
who may have or will have any type of musculoskeletal injury requiring some type of serious treatment who want to know about
all of their options.

Logistical Considerations
There are few limitations for this plan since it does not require many materials or any permission. It is important that
more data bases and varied sources can be found to prevent any possible bias on the paper. Also, a website of some sort
is needed in order to publicly publish the article. One larger difficulty is co-authors, since that is how any published
work gains credibility.