Abstract
Objective: To clarify the health community in understanding the difficulty of standardizing an autologous product with great capacity for application in regenerative medicine and highlight its classification, mechanism of action and production. Literature review: Initially employed in the 1970s to prevent hemorrhage, the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has expanded its field of action due to its capacity in regenerative medicine. It uses the patient's own blood and consists of a fraction of the plasma with a higher platelet concentration than the original blood. The principle of action is based mainly on the release of growth factors by platelets when activated. It can be prepared in several ways and involves centrifugation. It may have varying concentrations of platelets and leukocytes. Due to its variability in preparation and presentation, it is difficult to interpret the data available in the literature. Various ways of classification have been proposed to help systematize and compare studies. Final Considerations: PRP is a product that has shown good results in several areas of regenerative medicine. Knowledge of the mechanism of action, methods of preparation and classification helps health professionals to better understand this new therapy and encourages its use.