Dr Bert Mandelbaum is the team doctor for Team USA (soccer), the LA Galaxy, and Director of Research for Major League Baseball. He shares his optimism about the role of PRP in various injuries, while cautioning that stem cells, despite their promise, may still be like a ‘Ferrari without a steering wheel’.

He was a pioneer in ACL prevention research and believes that programs successful in women may well translate across to men in sport such as NFL football.

He takes 2 questions from @BJSM_BMJ Twitter followers. You can catch him next at the 23rd Isokinetic Football Medicine Conference in Milan, March 22-23, 2014 www.footballmedicinestrategies.com/en/

Read two of Dr Mandelbaum's prominent papers:

A randomized controlled trial to prevent noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury in female collegiate soccer players bit.ly/1fWWCfu

Effectiveness of a neuromuscular and proprioceptive training program in preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes bit.ly/1lwfzt8

See also:

Comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomised controlled trial bit.ly/1iXJRmS

Prevention of acute knee injuries in adolescent female football players: cluster randomised controlled trial bit.ly/LSeWgb

Treatment for acute anterior cruciate ligament tear: five year outcome of randomised trial bit.ly/1fWWjRF

Growth factor delivery methods in the management of sports injuries: the state of play: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/42/5/314.full

The PRP debate: http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2010/11/15/the-prp-debate/

IOC consensus paper on the use of platelet-rich plasma in sports medicine: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/15/1072.full

What constitutes the safe use of PRP in sports injuries? Continuing the PRP debate: http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2010/11/25/what-constitutes-the-safe-use-of-prp-in-sports-injuries-continuing-the-prp-debate/

No magical therapeutic benefit of PRP in Achilles tendinopathy — JAMA paper follow-up and BJSM podcast: http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2011/10/18/no-magical-therapeutic-benefit-of-prp-in-achilles-tendinopathy-jama-paper-follow-up-and-bjsm-podcast/

Platelet-rich plasma: a ‘feeling' and ‘hope' ailing athletes: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/Suppl_1/i1.2.abstract

Airway injury during high-level exercise: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/46/6/385.full

PRP within the wider context of regenerative medicine: http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2010/12/07/prp-within-the-wider-context-of-regenerative-medicine/