Tendon & Sports Injuries and Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): what the trial registry contains
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry holds 67 records for PRP in Tendon & Sports Injuries: 7 recruiting now, 17 labelled Phase 3 or 4, across 21 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
Why this is studied in Tendon & Sports Injuries
Tendinopathy is degenerative rather than inflammatory: disorganised collagen and neovascularisation from chronic overload. This is the orthobiologics heartland, where PRP is far more commonly used than cells, and where eccentric loading programmes remain the intervention with the most consistent evidence.
What PRP means in this table
Platelet-rich plasma is a blood product, not a stem-cell product, though it is routinely sold as part of the same package. Preparation varies enormously between systems — platelet concentration, leukocyte content and activation all differ — so the label describes a category of procedure rather than a defined substance, which is the main reason its trial literature is so inconsistent.
The numbers
Every figure below comes from one reproducible query (tendinopathy x platelet-rich plasma) run against ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 on 2026-08-29.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Registered studies (all statuses) | 67 |
| Interventional studies in the sample | 63 |
| Recruiting right now | 7 |
| Completed | 32 |
| Terminated, withdrawn or suspended | 11 |
| Phase 3 or Phase 4 records | 17 |
| Countries with at least one site | 21 |
| Median planned enrolment | 62 participants |
| Largest single planned enrolment | 10,000 participants |
| First / most recent start year | 2007 — 2026 |
How mature is this evidence?
This is one of the more developed corners of the field: 17 of the 67 registered records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label, meaning sponsors believed earlier data justified a confirmatory attempt.
Completion status: 32 completed, 11 stopped early (16% of all records). A registration is a plan, not a result.
| Phase label | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Not applicable | 41 | 60% |
| Phase 4 | 10 | 15% |
| Phase 2 | 8 | 12% |
| Phase 3 | 7 | 10% |
| Early Phase 1 | 1 | 1% |
| Phase 1 | 1 | 1% |
Median planned enrolment is 62 participants (largest single study: 10,000). Trials of this size can describe safety and generate hypotheses; detecting a modest clinical benefit reliably usually needs substantially larger numbers with a control group.
Where the studies are
Sites are spread across 21 countries, with United States accounting for roughly 45% of country mentions — geography reflects where regulators permit this work and where sponsors sit, not where care is best.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| United States | 23 |
| Turkey (Türkiye) | 5 |
| Spain | 5 |
| Poland | 4 |
| United Kingdom | 3 |
| Italy | 3 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| Finland | 2 |
| Taiwan | 2 |
| South Korea | 2 |
Legal pathway differs by country — see where cell therapy is legal, by country.
Who runs them
The sponsor mix is academic (12 academic or hospital, 5 commercial among the most frequent lead sponsors).
- University of Wisconsin, Madison — 5 records
- Stanford University — 3 records
- Zimmer Biomet — 3 records
- Kaiser Permanente — 2 records
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York — 2 records
- Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University — 2 records
Representative registered studies
Recruiting studies first, then the most advanced phases. Each identifier links to the registry record, where eligibility criteria, outcome measures and contacts are published.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07714811 — Hyaluronic Acid Versus Platelet-Rich Plasma for Chronic Tendinopathy and Enthesopathy | n/a | Recruiting | 80 | Ortonika Orthopedic Medical Clinic in Lublin | 2026-06-10 |
| NCT07558564 — Evaluation of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment in Tendinopathies | n/a | Recruiting | 2,000 | ReSport Clinic | 2026-04 |
| NCT07231471 — Platelet Rich Plasma for Musculoskeletal Conditions | n/a | Recruiting | 10,000 | University of Utah | 2025-12-29 |
| NCT07094178 — Corticosteroid Versus PRP Injections for Shoulder Tendinopathy | n/a | Recruiting | 60 | Hopital Charles Nicolle | 2025-06-30 |
| NCT06536582 — Nutrition Impact on PRGF Treatment for Tendinopathy | n/a | Recruiting | 52 | I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio | 2024-02-15 |
| NCT06040203 — Leukocyte-rich PRP or Leukocyte-free PRP vs Placebo in the Treatment of Epicondylitis | n/a | Recruiting | 240 | Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli | 2023-03-23 |
| NCT03984955 — Comparing Injection Treatments for Tennis Elbow | n/a | Recruiting | 123 | Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust | 2018-04-18 |
| NCT06160427 — Connective Tissue Matrix for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy | Phase 4 | Active Not Recruiting | 92 | Allegheny Singer Research Institute (also known as Allegheny | 2023-12-04 |
| NCT05603468 — Effect of PRP vs Corticosteroid in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Subtypes in Arthroscopic Repair | Phase 4 | Active Not Recruiting | 387 | Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of M | 2022-12-15 |
| NCT06815042 — The Analysis of Efficacy Factors for Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy in the Treatment of Elbow Tendinopathy | Phase 4 | Not Yet Recruiting | 30 | CHA University | 2025-02 |
What this page does and does not tell you
A registry is a plan repository. Counting entries tells you what people intended to study, which is a weaker thing than what they found.
If a clinic offers you this today, the useful question is not "is there research?" but "which of these registered studies is mine part of, and if none, what evidence applies to the exact product I am being sold?" The Provider Question Builder turns that into a scored checklist.
Frequently asked
How many PRP studies for Tendon & Sports Injuries are recruiting right now?
7 of 67 registered records were listed as recruiting in the 2026-08-29 snapshot. Recruitment status changes frequently; the registry record is authoritative.
Is PRP an approved treatment for Tendon & Sports Injuries?
Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 67 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.
How advanced is the research on PRP for Tendon & Sports Injuries?
17 of 67 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 32 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2007 to 2026.
Registry and literature counts retrieved 2026-08-29 (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2; PubMed E-utilities). Registration or publication volume measures research activity, not effectiveness or approval. Educational information — not medical advice; verify product, indication, legal pathway and evidence with an independent qualified physician. Page generated 2026-08-29. See our editorial standards.
More on this condition
Download the query data
Query totals are full API matches; status, phase and country counts describe the first up to 400 returned records per query. Query classes overlap and must not be summed as unique trials. Counts are not treatment outcomes. Snapshot: 2026-08-29. Methods and field definitions.