A Preliminary Report on the Combined Effect of Intra-Articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections and Photobiomodulation in Canine Osteoarthritis

• The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the combined treatment of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and photobiomodulation (PBM) in dogs with bilateral hip osteoarthritis (OA).
• 30 dogs were assigned to a PRP group (PRPG, n = 10), a photobiomodulation group (PBMTG, n =10), or a combined therapies group (PRP+PBMTG, n = 10)
• Both dog handlers and researchers performing outcome evaluations were blinded as to which treatment group(s) the dogs were assigned to
• The PRPG received two intra-articular administrations of platelet-rich plasma 14 days apart. The PBMTG received photobiomodulation with a therapeutic laser, with three sessions every other day in week one; two sessions in week two; a single session in week three; and one session/month on follow-up evaluation days. The PRP+PBMTG received the two combined therapies.
• When PBM was used (alone or in combination), it was used at the recommended dosage/protocol (10-20J/cm2) without changes in treatment power (W)
• The response to treatment was evaluated with weight-bearing distribution (Stance analysis) and three different validated clinical metrology instruments (CBPO, LOAD, and COI). Evaluations were conducted before treatment and throughout the first 90 days after initial treatment.
• All treatments produced clinically significant improvements in all outcome measures. However, the combination of PRP and photobiomodulation produced greater, longer-lasting improvements.
• Previous PBM-only studies have demonstrated beneficial effects during treatment but these effects tended to wean out after treatment was discontinued. This study shows that a continued PBMT protocol (reflecting “real world conditions”) can improve clinical signs and objective outcome parameters in dogs with hip OA, with long-lasting effects. In fact, pain severity scores showed a continuous improvement over time.

Conclusion

PRP and photobiomodulation can improve objective outcomes and client-reported outcome measures in dogs with OA. Their combined use leads to greater, longer-lasting, clinically significant improvements at least during the first 90 days. Further long-term studies are ongoing.

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1 Divisão de Medicina Veterinária, Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR), Rua Presidente Arriaga,
9, 1200-771 Lisbon, Portugal 2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
3 Centro de Ciência Animal e Veterinária, Lusófona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
4 MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94,
7006-554 Évora, Portugal
5 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon (FMV/ULisboa), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal; miguelcarreira@fmv.ulisboa.pt 6 Interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Animal Health (CIISA), University of Lisbon (FMV/
ULisboa), 1649-004 Lisbon, Portugal 7 Anjos of Assis Veterinary Medicine Centre (CMVAA), 2830-077 Barreiro, Portugal