Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections Now Offered at Cobleskill Regional Hospital

COBLESKILL — Cobleskill, N.Y. – A regenerative and non-operative therapy for a wide variety of muscle, joint, and tendon injuries or issues is now being offered at Cobleskill Regional Hospital.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are a treatment that is derived entirely from a patient’s own blood. Blood is drawn and processed through a centrifuge machine, which separates the platelets and concentrates the plasma. The plasma is then injected into the patient’s area of concern where it creates an inflammatory response, recruiting growth factors and bioactive proteins that promote and aid in the healing process.

Multiple studies and reviews have found PRP can be highly effective in decreasing pain and stiffness, improving physical function, and helping patients recover from an injury and return to their prior level of physical activity.   

Cobleskill Regional Hospital is the only location within Bassett Healthcare Network to offer this service to patients.

Meet Emma Cronk, MD, CAQSM

PRP injections are at their best and most effective when they are administered by a healthcare provider who has received specialized training.

Emma Cronk, MD, CAQSM, is a double board-certified sports medicine physician who has this level of training. She is currently the only Bassett physician who will be administering this procedure.

“Your body has its own natural way of healing itself. What PRP does is kickstart that process, using your own blood,” explains Dr. Cronk.

Watch Dr. Cronk discuss PRP injections in this video: https://youtu.be/3uJF7DzxvSg

PRP is Chosen by Patients at Different Life Stages, Dealing with a Range of Challenges

This therapy is wide-reaching in its potential applications and can be worthwhile for patients facing a number of challenges.

PRP injections can be placed anywhere on the body and can promote the healing of many sports-related injuries like tendonitis, ligament sprains, rotator cuff tears, and ACL tears. They can also promote the regeneration of cartilage, so they can be a worthwhile option for patients with osteoarthritis or patients who want to exhaust all nonsurgical options before undergoing a hip or knee replacement. PRP injections are an outpatient procedure that takes approximately one hour. Many patients see results for several years.

“Typically, patients only need one injection session, which makes it a great option for people looking for efficacy. The current literature shows that only a third of people may need a second injection depending on their specific circumstances and symptoms,” said Dr. Cronk. 

Top-of-the-Line Equipment

Cobleskill Regional Hospital has purchased and is using the Angel system from Arthrex, a fully-automated centrifuge that utilizes sensors and one-button automation to prepare PRP. This provides added precision, not offered by some other systems.    

“The Angel centrifuge system is a fantastic machine. All the nurses have to do is draw the blood and place it on the disk. The centrifuge spins and seamlessly, without further action from the nurses, produces the plasma,” explains Dr. Cronk. “Not only does this ensure the patients get the most benefit from their plasma, it is also more time-effective, so patients aren’t kept waiting and we can administer the more concentrated plasma in a timely fashion.”

Dr. Cronk is Accepting New Patients

Patients interested in exploring PRP injections should speak with their primary care practitioner, who can give them a referral. The next step is a PRP consultation with Dr. Cronk to discuss what patients can expect during and after their injection(s) and anything the patient might need to do to prepare. PRP has very few contraindications (circumstances that would make a particular medical treatment inadvisable). These fall into two categories, absolute and relative, all of which Dr. Cronk goes over at each patient’s consultation to ensure they are great candidates for this procedure.

“I truly believe in PRP and what it can do for people in a non-surgical setting. It means a lot to me to have another modality I can provide to my patients here, in addition to steroids, physical therapy, and gel injections,” said Dr. Cronk. “When someone has exhausted all of those options, which happens quite often in orthopedics, the next step could potentially be surgery, which is a big step. Now we have PRP here at Cobleskill Regional Hospital as a new middle step for a patient who needs relief and healing, but may not necessarily need or want surgery.”

PRP injections are paid for out of pocket and are not, at this time, covered by medical insurance. A unilateral injection, administered at one location on the body, will currently cost a patient $700. A bilateral injection, in which the same plasma is prepared, but is administered in two areas of concern, currently costs $850.