Clinical findings, synovial fluid cytology and growth factor concentrations after intra-articular use of a platelet-rich product in horses with osteoarthritis.
Abstract: Osteoarthritis is a common cause of lameness in horses, resulting in poor performance. Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma can deliver a collection of bioactive molecules, such as autologous growth factors and proteins involved in the quality of tissue repair. Horses (n=5) with osteoarthritis affecting antebrachiocarpal, middle carpal or metacarpophalangeal joints, and horses (n=5) without osteoarthritis of the corresponding joints (radiographically free of osteoarthritis), were used for the production of platelet-rich plasma which was subsequently injected into selected joints. Clinical and synovial fluid changes after intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma as well as synovial platelet-derived growth factor-BB and transforming growth factor-beta 1 concentration changes were evaluated in these joints and compared between normal joints and joints with osteoarthritis. A gravity filtration system produced a moderately concentrated platelet-rich plasma, representing a 4.7-fold increase in baseline platelet concentration. The synovial effusion score was significantly different between the control joints and joints with osteoarthritis on Day 0 with a higher score in the group with osteoarthritis. Within the control group, the synovial effusion score was significantly higher on Days 1 and 2 compared to Day 0. For both groups, the synovial fluid nucleated cell count, predominantly intact neutrophils, was significantly increased on Days 1 and 2, with no significant difference between groups. The mean synovial platelet-derived growth factor-BB and transforming growth factor-beta 1 concentrations were increased for both groups but significantly lowered in the group with osteoarthritis on Day 1 compared to normal joints. Concentrations for platelet-derived growth factor-BB remained unchanged on Day 5, compared to Day 1, with no significant difference between groups. In conclusion, intra-articular treatment with platelet-rich plasma resulted in increased synovial growth factor concentrations in joints but with lower concentrations in joints with osteoarthritis. A transient inflammatory reaction was seen both clinically as an increase in synovial effusion and cytologically in both normal joints and joints with osteoarthritis.
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This study probes the effects of delivering platelet-rich plasma (PRP) intra-articularly in horses diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and compares the results to those in horses without the mentioned ailment. Results indicate an elevation in synovial growth factor concentrations following treatment with PRP, however, those with osteoarthritis showed lower concentrations.
Objective and Method
The objective of this study was to understand the influence of injecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into the joints of horses suffering from osteoarthritis. The method applied compared the results with a control group: horses without osteoarthritis.
In order to achieve this objective, PRP was sourced from affected horses and from the control group. The plasma was then injected back into specific joints of the donor horse, allowing the researchers to study the resulting changes in clinical and synovial fluid dynamics.
Key Findings
The findings of the study established that using a gravity filtration system yielded a moderate concentration of PRP, having a 4.7 times increase over the initial platelet concentration.
On Day 0 of the study, the synovial effusion score was high for horses with osteoarthritis compared to the control group. However, for the control group, this score elevated post the injection on Day 1 and 2, in comparison to Day 0.
The cell count of synovial fluid, mainly intact neutrophils, shot up on Day 1 and 2 for horses without exception, but without any significant difference between the two groups.
Two factors, the platelet-derived growth factor-BB and the transforming growth factor-beta 1, escalated in concentration for both groups, noticeably lower for those with osteoarthritis on Day 1.
By Day 5, the concentration of platelet-derived growth factor-BB showed no significant change compared to Day 1 without revealing difference among the two groups.
Conclusion
The application of PRP intra-articularly led to the rise of synovial growth factor concentrations in joints. However, the concentrations were found to be relatively lower in horses that had osteoarthritis.
Another point that surfaced was that a short-term inflammatory reaction – reflected in amplified synovial effusion and cytologic counts – was noted in both the control group and the horses diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
Cite This Article
APA
Smit Y, Marais HJ, Thompson PN, Mahne AT, Goddard A.
(2019).
Clinical findings, synovial fluid cytology and growth factor concentrations after intra-articular use of a platelet-rich product in horses with osteoarthritis.
J S Afr Vet Assoc, 90, e1-e9.
https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v90i0.1721
Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort. yolandi.smit@up.ac.za.
Marais, Hendrik J
Thompson, Peter N
Mahne, Arnold T
Goddard, Amelia
MeSH Terms
Animals
Female
Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
Horse Diseases / drug therapy
Horses
Injections, Intra-Articular / veterinary
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / analysis
Lameness, Animal / complications
Lameness, Animal / diagnostic imaging
Male
Osteoarthritis / complications
Osteoarthritis / drug therapy
Osteoarthritis / veterinary
Platelet-Rich Plasma
Synovial Fluid / cytology
Treatment Outcome
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no other financial or personal conflicts of interest that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article. No employees or consultants have benefitted financially from Pall Corporation or its products.
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