Background: Chronic wounds place a heavy burden on the healthcare system due to the
prolonged, continuous need for human resources for wound management. Our aim was to
investigate the therapeutic effects of platelet-rich plasma on the treatment of chronic
wounds. Methods: The systematic literature search was performed in four databases.
Randomized clinical trials reporting on patients with chronic wounds treated with
platelet-rich plasma (PRP) were included, comparing PRP with conventional ulcer therapy.
We pooled the data using the random effects model. Our primary outcome was the change
in wound size. Results: Our systematic search provided 2688 articles, and we identified
48 eligible studies after the selection and citation search. Thirty-three study groups
of 29 RCTs with a total of 2198 wounds showed that the odds for complete closure were
significantly higher in the PRP group than in the control group (OR = 5.32; CI: 3.37;
8.40; I2 = 58%). Conclusion: PRP is a safe and effective modality to enhance wound
healing. By implementing it in clinical practice, platelet-rich plasma could become
a widely used, valuable tool as it could not only improve patients’ quality of life
but also decrease the healthcare burden of wound management.
