Sports Medicine

David has experience in specialized areas of athlete care, including:

• • Non-operative management of sport injuries
  • Overuse injuries
  • Acute injury diagnosis and management
  • Stress fractures/bone stress injuries
  • Concussions
  • Exercise in pregnancy
  • Female athlete triad/reduced energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)
  • Aging athletes
  • Team sport health and performance concerns
  • Pre-participation physical exams
  • Return-to-play decisions
  • Unexplained underperformance syndrome in sport
  • Exercise/physical activity prescription

Appointments require a referral from your family doctor or another physician, and the fees for most services are covered under the Medical Services Plan (MSP).

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Dr David Little, Sports Medicine Physician is now offering Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) injections for treating certain musculoskeletal/sports injuries.

PRP injections are a type of orthobiologic therapy that involve taking a patient’s own blood and concentrating the levels of platelets and growth factors to promote healing in injured musculoskeletal tissue.

PRP Injections are considered for soft tissues injuries traditionally known to have poor healing properties where the healing process may have ‘stalled’. There is also evidence for the use of PRP in Osteoarthritis and some chondral (cartilage) problems.

PRP is not known to have any major harmful effects, because apart from a patient’s own (autologous) blood, no other constituents are added to the injection. For that reason, it is appealing to patients who want more of a ‘natural approach’ to dealing with their injuries. It is often also considered an option by patients who have trialed various other treatments unsuccessfully for their longstanding injuries but wish to avoid having surgery.

Injuries that can be targeted with PRP:

• Tendinopathy; including tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, rotator cuff, patellar, achilles and plantar fasciitis.
• Early osteoarthritis
• Chondral injuries (injuries involving the articular cartilage overlying all joints)

What is involved?

An initial clinic consultation and imaging (e.g. MRI/ CT/ X‑rays/Diagnostic ultrasound scan) is required to ensure the diagnosis is correct and other similar conditions have been ruled out. A discussion on the suitability of PRP for the condition is also undertaken.

If a condition is deemed to be suitable for PRP treatment, your doctor will explain the procedure, risks and aftercare involved to ensure you are fully aware of the treatment process. You should use this opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the treatment.

Blood is obtained by the process of venesection, similar to a routine blood test. This is stored in a sterile syringe to prevent infection and contamination. A process of centrifugation is then undertaken which seperates the desired parts. The plasma-rich layer is then removed and injected back into the same patient under sterile conditions. You will then be followed up closely by your doctor afterwards.