Reference

Glossary

A working glossary of the terms an operator meets when specifying equipment and running protocols in a regenerative medicine clinic. 38 terms, each defined in one screen, each cross-linked to the bulletins that use it.

All terms

ACD-A ACD-A is anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution A, a citrate-based anticoagulant containing dextrose.

Advanced PRF (A-PRF) A-PRF is a solid platelet-rich fibrin produced with reduced force and increased time relative to the original L-PRF protocol, with the aim of raising leukocyte content and distributing cells more evenly through the clot.

Anticoagulant An anticoagulant prevents blood from clotting between the draw and the spin.

Autologous Autologous means derived from the patient's own body.

Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) BMAC is bone marrow aspirate that has been centrifuged to concentrate its nucleated cell fraction.

Buffy coat The buffy coat is the thin layer that forms between the red cells and the plasma after centrifugation.

Calcium chloride Calcium chloride is used to activate platelets in citrate-anticoagulated PRP.

Closed system A closed system is one in which the blood is never exposed to open air between the draw and the injection.

Concentrated PRF (C-PRF) C-PRF is a platelet-rich fibrin variant in which the upper plasma layer is fractionated to isolate the fraction with the highest platelet and leukocyte concentration, rather than using the whole liquid layer.

Erythrocyte An erythrocyte is a red blood cell.

Fixed-angle rotor A fixed-angle rotor holds tubes at a set inclination throughout the spin.

Growth factors Growth factors are signalling proteins released by platelets, and they are the reason platelet concentrates are of clinical interest.

Haematocrit Haematocrit is the proportion of blood volume occupied by red cells, typically around fortythree percent.

Horizontal centrifugation Horizontal centrifugation spins tubes in a swing-out rotor so they lie flat under load.

Injectable PRF (i-PRF) i-PRF is a liquid form of platelet-rich fibrin prepared at low centrifugal force and short duration, which leaves it injectable before it clots.

Leukocyte A leukocyte is a white blood cell.

Leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) L-PRF is the original solid platelet-rich fibrin, produced by centrifuging blood without anticoagulant so that a fibrin clot forms during the spin.

Leukocyte-poor PRP (P-PRP) Leukocyte-poor PRP excludes most white cells, typically by drawing a narrower fraction above the buffy coat.

Leukocyte-rich PRP (L-PRP) Leukocyte-rich PRP retains the white cells that concentrate alongside platelets in the buffy coat.

Lipoaspirate Lipoaspirate is the adipose tissue removed by liposuction, and it is the starting material for adipose-derived preparations such as SVF.

Orthobiologics Orthobiologics is the umbrella term for biological preparations used in musculoskeletal treatment, covering platelet concentrates, bone marrow aspirate concentrate, and adipose-derived preparations.

Plasma Plasma is the liquid fraction of blood, roughly fiftyfive percent of its volume, in which the cells are suspended.

Platelet activation Activation is the step that triggers platelets to release their growth factors.

Platelet concentration factor Concentration factor is how many times the platelet count in the final product exceeds the patient's whole-blood baseline, written for example as 5x.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor, is one of the principal signalling proteins released by activated platelets.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) PRF is a platelet concentrate produced without anticoagulant, so the blood clots during centrifugation and forms a fibrin matrix.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) PRP is plasma with a platelet concentration above whole-blood baseline, produced by centrifuging a patient's own blood.

Radius-max (r-max) Radius-max is the distance from the centrifuge's axis of rotation to the bottom of the tube, usually given in millimetres.

Relative centrifugal force (RCF) RCF is the force a centrifuge applies to a sample, expressed as a multiple of Earth's gravity and written as g.

Revolutions per minute (RPM) RPM is how fast a rotor turns.

Sedimentation Sedimentation is the movement of suspended cells through plasma under centrifugal force.

Sodium citrate Sodium citrate is a citrate anticoagulant used in blood collection tubes.

Stokes' law Stokes' law describes how fast a particle sediments through a fluid under force.

Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) SVF is the cell-containing fraction obtained from processed adipose tissue after the mature fat cells are removed.

Swing-out rotor A swing-out rotor lets tubes rotate to horizontal under load, so the layers stratify flat and perpendicular to the tube.

Thrombocyte A thrombocyte is a platelet.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) TGF-beta, transforming growth factor beta, is a signalling protein released by platelets and one of the standard endpoints when centrifugation protocols are compared.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) VEGF is a growth factor associated with the formation of new blood vessels and one of the standard endpoints when platelet concentrate protocols are compared.