What’s the difference between PRP, Prolozone, and stem cell therapy?

PRP, in practical terms

Blood is drawn from your arm, spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and injected into the treated area. Because it comes from you, there is no question of donor material. It has the strongest published evidence of the three for several orthopedic conditions, and it is typically the starting point when a tendon or a moderately arthritic joint is the problem.

Prolozone, in practical terms

Prolozone injects a mixture of oxygen and ozone alongside nutrients and a local anaesthetic. It is generally the least expensive of the three, is usually done as a series rather than a single injection, and is often considered for ligament laxity, joint instability, and chronic pain where inflammation is a significant driver. The published evidence is thinner than for PRP.

Stem cell therapy, and why it sits apart

Stem cell therapy involves a cell preparation rather than a blood or gas-based product, and it is a more involved and considerably more expensive procedure. Its use for orthopedic conditions is not FDA-approved and is considered investigational, which is a meaningful distinction rather than a formality.

It is generally a later conversation, not a first-line option — usually after less involved approaches have been considered, and only where imaging and history suggest it could be appropriate.