PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. A plasma fraction with a higher platelet concentration than baseline blood is obtained from the patient’s own blood by centrifugation. After activation, platelets release a range of biologically active signaling molecules.

For clinical practice, one point is crucial: PRP is not identical across systems. Collection tubes, centrifuge, rotor, RCF, spin time, cellular composition, volume and application protocol may differ considerably. A systematic review of 75 randomized trials found substantial variability in preparation and use.^[3]

The economic interest is not only about adding a new procedure. Many relevant patient groups are already in your practice: orthopaedic clinics treat joint complaints, dermatology practices see patients with hair loss, and aesthetic physicians already counsel patients about minimally invasive procedures.

Where medically appropriate, PRP can therefore become an additional option within an existing care pathway. Osteoarthritis illustrates the size of the underlying patient population: Germany’s Robert Koch Institute reported an osteoarthritis prevalence of 17.1% among adults in 2019.^[7] This does not mean these patients are automatically candidates for PRP. Diagnosis, disease stage, previous treatment and individual medical assessment remain decisive.

In marketing, PRP often appears to be standardized. In real-world practice, systems and protocols vary. A robust workflow should make it possible to document at least the tube system and lot, centrifuge, rotor, RCF, spin time, obtained volume, route of administration and relevant deviations.

This improves traceability and helps make treatments more comparable and team workflows more consistent.

The starting material is the patient’s own blood. This autologous concept is attractive in many clinical models and is straightforward to explain. It does not, however, imply guaranteed efficacy or universal safety.

Blood collection and invasive administration may be associated with adverse reactions or complications. Patient selection, contraindications, aseptic technique, informed consent and follow-up therefore remain essential.

A professional PRP service should not depend on which staff member happens to perform each step. Define the pathway from indication to follow-up.

1. Define indications: diagnosis, goals, alternatives and exclusion criteria.
2. Standardize consent: discuss evidence, limitations, risks, costs and realistic expectations.
3. Match materials and device: verify intended use, compatibility, manufacturer instructions and centrifugation parameters.
4. Document preparation: record tube, lot, centrifuge, rotor, RCF, time and volume.
5. Document application: record target area, technique, volume and immediate reactions.
6. Organize follow-up: standardize warning signs, review and outcome documentation.

PRP may represent an additional privately billed or self-pay medical service. That does not automatically mean a high margin. Economics depend on consumables, physician and staff time, device investment, room costs, hygiene, documentation, follow-up, cancellations and realistic case volume.

A simple internal calculation is:

Billing should also be reviewed before launch. The German Medical Association’s GOÄ advisory example shows that individual process steps such as centrifugation cannot simply be added as separate analogous charges at will.^[8]

Tube, centrifuge, rotor and protocol need to fit together. RPM is frequently confused with RCF. RPM describes rotational speed; the actual relative centrifugal force also depends on rotor radius.

The same RPM can therefore produce a different RCF in two different centrifuges. Manufacturer instructions and the intended use of the system remain decisive.

RCF/RPM calculator · Centrifuge buying guide

Medical advertising is not consumer-product advertising. In Germany, Section 3 of the Heilmittelwerbegesetz prohibits misleading claims, including false statements about effects or language suggesting guaranteed success.^[9]

A rapid launch makes little sense if there is no clearly defined patient group, the necessary clinical expertise is missing, or the sole motivation is marketing. The same applies if preparation and documentation cannot be standardized or devices and consumables are combined without checking intended use and compatibility.

A good decision therefore starts not with buying a centrifuge, but with the question: Which specific medical service do we want to provide, and can we deliver that process reliably over time?

So why should you offer PRP in your practice? Not because PRP is fashionable, and not because every application has been conclusively proven. It becomes relevant when a medically meaningful indication, a professionally controlled workflow and an economically viable implementation come together.

For appropriately positioned practices, PRP can become an additional medical option that integrates well into existing specialties. Introduced this way, you are not simply selling an autologous blood procedure – you are establishing a controlled clinical process.