ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF APPLYING THE METHOD PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) FOR THE TREATMENT OF PROBLEMATIC SKIN WOUNDS

OBJECTIVE: To show analysis of the results of applying the method platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of problematic skin wounds. The paper's objective is to prove its reliability and relevance, to evaluate its efficiency and applicability to Bulgarian patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Out of a total of 154 hospitalized patients with problematic skin wounds 83 have been treated with platelet-rich plasma, comprising the Experimental group (EG), and 71 patients with similar wounds have been treated by using traditional methods for the respective pathology at the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Vessel and Plastic Surgery Department, comprising the Control Group (CG). Data on the condition of monitored symptoms of researched cases was collected for the research. A variable is defined for every symptom and its value and weight is correspondingly introduced. Scores introduced by Cancela AM are used for the assessment of the respective wound. Each of these scores is used for assessing specific wound parameters: Total Wound Score (TWS); total anatomic score (TAS) of wound and Total Score of Wound data (TSWD). RESULTS: Analysis of variance was performed to achieve the objectives and solve the research tasks; variables containing information on initial and final data from each series of experiments have been analyzed in order to determine basic numerical characteristics of variables, and by comparative analysis to check how they tend to vary in experimental (EG) and control (CG) group. Statistical survey shows that the platelet-rich plasma method gives significant results when treating problematic skin wounds leading to full recovery as compared to traditional methods typical for the pathology. The graphical interpretation allows to identify forecast relations between assessed aspects of problematic wounds and weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION: By analyzing the results of our study we can conclude that the use of platelet-rich plasma to treat problematic skin wounds is a safe and effective treatment method. It is not universal for every wound, but follows the principles of biological wound treatment and leads to full recovery of high percentage of problematic skin wounds. We support proponents of the application of platelet-rich plasma to treat problematic skin wounds.