When it comes to side effects, ease of preparation, fast treatment times, and cost, PRP is above them all in orthobiologics. However, aside from PRP, there is one other alternative that is showing promise: Amniotic Fluid.
 
Due to it being a really good source of regenerative material that is not only highly proliferative, but also that produces almost no immune response, Amniotic Fluid has been a popular substance to theorize about since the late 1930’s. That is not all though, as this fluid is also high in collagen, growth factors, and hyaluronic acids. These are found in high quantities, making them a good choice for promoting regeneration.
 
This fluid is also high in stem cells that contain B7H4, a substance that promotes wound healing and even shows promise as a way of growing functional blood vessels. This was demonstrated to be true by scientists at Rice University and Texas Children’s Hospital.
 
However, we are not going to talk about that kind of Amniotic fluid. The one that we are going to talk about has been frozen, thereby killing the stem cells. This is actually a good thing, as the FDA has banned the presence of stems cells in amniotic fluids.
 
How Allografts Of Amniotic Fluids are Created
 
Allografts (Grafts taken from someone besides the person receiving it) of Amniotic Fluids are like Platelet-Rich Plasma that is already ready to be injected. This way, you and your patients receive all of the benefits associated with PRP therapy, without having to extract it yourself.
 
This amniotic fluid is taken with consent from mothers who decided to donate this fluid during a c-section. Not only were the women themselves pre-screened, but the fluid is tested again afterwards, and then prepared to be instantly used for a wide watch of medical ailments.
 
The fact that Amniotic Fluid has very little effect on one’s immune system makes it a wonderful allograft. This means that the body is far less likely to attack the donor material, making it far less likely to be rejected. Also, much like PRP, they are also known to fight inflammation, and keep microbes at bay. They are also multipotent cells, meaning they can turn into any cell they need to, making them a gold standard for regenerative medicine.
 
Since Amniotic Fluid is not taken from the person it it being used on like PRP, it misses out on a lot of those benefits. However, the large amount of elastin, fibronectin, and collagen makes it a great substance to use in wound healing and cell regeneration. It also contains a ton of growth factors, including PDGF, EGF, VEGF, and FDF to name a few.
 
Amniotic Fluid Allograft
 
It is often used to improve chronic pain conditions, as well as sports injuries, arthritis, and potentially even the symptoms of aging. It can be used by doctors along with PRP therapy to increase the effectiveness of the therapy. It can also be combined with bone marrow aspirates or hyaluronic acid.
 
The Potentials Of This
 
Many doctors may not want to spend the time and money investing in PRP therapies, so we think that Amniotic Fluid in general, could be a wonderful alternative to PRP therapy. Also, this can also be used as a stepping stone to help providers that are new to regenerative medicine to potentially get to PRP or stem cells over time.
 
We are convinced that once you get started with regenerative medicine, whether it be Amniotic Fluids, PRP therapies, or stem cell therapy, you will prefer it over other invasive procedures for sports injuries, arthritis, and other wounds. This will help save at least a few patients from having to do any unnecessary surgical procedures.

Although they can perform surgeries, osteopathic physicians try to avoid doing so whenever possible. Because of this, PRP seems to be an excellent fit for their practice. Since Osteopathy was built on the idea of self-healing, PRP seems to be a perfect fit.
 
A little while ago, PRP research was reviewed by The Journal Of The American Osteopathic Association, and concluded that more studies and evidence would be needed to make a solid statement on it. A little while later, a case study was filed, showcasing an 18 year old high school football player who suffered from a sports injury. The case study showed that the muscle injury healed rapidly under the effect of PRP therapy. So although PRP is not constantly held up on a pedestal by the mainstream yet, does not mean that Osteopathic Physicians can’t learn a lot or benefit from the use of PRP in their practice.
 
How Osteopathic Physicians can Benefit From PRP
 

1. It’s Holistic

 
Due to the fact that Osteopathic Physicians prefer to treat the patient, as opposed to just treating a disease or the symptoms, PRP is a great fit. It works by using the body’s own resources and mechanics and helps the body to heal itself over time. It works because, instead of simply dealing with symptoms, like many practices and conventional medicine does, it works to deal with the problem head on.
 
For instance, there are many examples of PRP therapy taking the place of surgery and medicine. Such as the cases where female patients were able to revive their sex drive, although they were initially treated for incontinence. So although PRP therapy was created and pushed by allopathic doctors at first, PRP works wonders in the field of Osteopathic medicine, and can become one of the best methods of treatment for Osteopathic physicians.
 

2. Musculoskeletal Issues

 
In some practices, musculoskeletal pain can be something that Osteopathic Physicians deal with often. However, it is good to note that PRP is quickly becoming one of the main treatments for these kinds of issues. For instance, many researchers believe that PRP should be the main choice for people who suffer from knee meniscus.
 
In 2016, University of Missouri Doctor Patrick Smith published a FDA-sanctioned double-blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trial on PRP. These kinds of trials are considered the gold standard in research. The results of the study was that PRP provided safe and notable benefits for people who suffer from knee Osteoarthritis.
 

3. PRP has a great deal of potential

 
The third and most important reason why all physicians, including Osteopathic Physicians, should start using PRP therapy is due to how wide its scope is. Due to the fact that PRP is simple and common, it is safe to say that if PRP can work on knee joints and tendons, that it most likely works on other tendons, joints, bones, and muscles as well. PRP will soon be a commonplace treatment when it comes to pretty much all musculoskeletal diseases.
 
This means that PRP has a near limitless potential. This is especially important for Osteopathic Physicians, as if there is a problem with the patients wrist, it could be that the main issue appears further down the arm. This is why multiple PRP injections on various areas of the arm can work to not just heal the issue, but also enhance the other traditional methods that are used. This will help restore the balance t the body, and give full functionality back to the patient.
 
American Academy of Regenerative Medicine Doctor Peter Lewis has administered over 100,000 PRP injections to over 12,000 patients. He claims that more than 80% of his patients who have gotten PRP therapy has had fantastic results. Even people who have claimed to need surgery could be benefited by the use of PRP.
 
Are They FDA Approved?
 
As of this year, PRP treatments are not yet subject to FDA approval. This is because all of the treatments are performed on the same day as the extraction, and uses only materials that are already inside the patients own body. Because of this, the PRP therapy is within the scope of the FDA Code of Federal Regulation title 21, part 1270, 1271.1. As a result, it is exempt from needing approval.

How does the U.S. FDA regulate cell therapies? (351 vs 361 Products)
In the United States, cellular therapies are regulated by the FDA’s Office of Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies (OCTGT) within the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).
According to the FDA, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) regulates: