Published: Int Orthop. 2011 Oct;35(10):1569-76. doi: 10.1007/s00264-011-1237-3. Epub 2011 Mar 11.
Keyword: Regenerative medicine, growth factors, platelet-rich plasma, suspensory ligament desmopathy, superficial flexor tendinopath
Author(s): "Torricelli P, Fini M, Filardo G, Tschon M, Pischedda M, Pacorini A, Kon E, Giardino R."
Summary: Tissue repair in musculoskeletal injuries is often a slow and sometimes incomplete process. Regenerative medicine based on the use of growth factors (GFs) and cell therapy is aimed at improving the quality and speed of tendon and ligament healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for the administration of a combination of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and freshly isolated bone marrow mononucleated cells (BMMNCs) in 13 competition horses affected by overuse musculoskeletal injuries (suspensory ligament desmopathy and superficial flexor tendinopathy) and refractory to other therapies. Results of this study indicate that horses showed a marked improvement in their degree of lameness and 84.6% were able to return to competition. Among all the factors studied, the platelet concentration predicted the healing time: significantly faster recovery (p = 0.049) was observed in cases of PRP with more than 750 × 10(3)/μl platelets.