Plated-Rich Plasma therapy can be instrumental to the restoration of a pet’s natural functions.
Understanding the initiative and functionality of this fairly new regenerative procedure in pets will broaden your knowledge in regenerative therapy.
What is Plated-Rich-Plasma (PRP)?
The practice of Plated-Rich-Plasma therapy first began as a human treatment namely for gingivitis and maxillofacial surgery, but has recently branched off to facilitate the needs of pets. Specifically, PRP is defined as the process of breaking down and separating blood in a manner that produces are larger concentration of platelets than what normally persists. In order to fully grasp the mechanism, it is necessary to understand platelets and their role in the PRP process.
Platelets are cell-like components of the blood that operate as the nucleus for the development of blood clots.
They also contain growth factors necessary for healing and is where the regenerative aspect of PRP derives. Some of the most common growth factors include ß-thromboglobulin, insulin-growth factor 1, fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor. These growth factors work to promote angiogenesis and expedite new tissue growth, regeneration, and replenishing the extracellular matrix.
“The growth factors that persist throughout the platelet stimulates new blood vessel formation, the extracellular matrix gene expression and formation, decreases inflammation, reduces the incidence of artho-fibrosis, improve postoperative range of motion, enhance wound healing, and decrease the risk of infection, reduce pain levels, which accommodates the early recovery and restorative function.”
How Does It Work?
Once the pet is sedated, be it a cat, dog, or otherwise, blood is drawn from the furry companion and it is filtered or ran through a centrifuge which separates the denser components of blood from the heavier ones. This distillation process isolates a portion of the blood to obtain a platelet concentration that is much richer than regular blood. During the process, red blood cells and white blood cells portions are removed from the platelet-rich part of the plasma.
This remaining platelet-rich plasma, which contains the growth factors consisting of proteins that stimulate cells in the tendon, muscle ligament, or joint, is then injected back into the pet, usually by the affected area such as the damaged ligaments, tendons, etc. More new cells are then brought to the injury site and the growth factors from the platelets trigger connective tissue healing, development of new blood vessels, bone repair, and a collective wound healing.
The treatment is very effective in that it is the pet’s own blood which significantly decreases the risk of rejection upon injection.
PRP is frequently considered a last-resort procedure where pain continues to persist and wounds fail to heal after the application of a series of treatments, medication, and invasive surgeries.
The therapy has been proven beneficial for treating a series of pet injuries.
When is PRP Applicable?
Tendon Repair
- PRP is resourceful for the repair of acute and chronic tendon injuries. It reduces the inflammation and pain and accelerates motion recovery.
Intra-articular therapies
- PRP promotes synovial hyaluronic acid production and reduces inflammation
Adjunct to Internal Fixation
- It promotes osseous regeneration and can be reliable for speed long-bone fracture repair
Healing
- PRP can assist with orthopedic fractures and delayed bone healing. It also facilitates degenerative joint disease including the elbow, shoulder, knee, hip, and ankle.
and these as well:
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Capsulitis
- Wound care
Benefits
PRP is beneficial in that it treats chronic and unresponsive pain injuries and it does so without the need for invasive surgical procedures. In addition to this primary benefit others include:
- Reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms
- It is a healing mechanism for stubborn wounds
- Overall health restoration
Case studies
We use PRP treatment as part of our approach to regenerative and rehabilitative veterinary medicine. Here’s more on how we use the therapy in our practice.
These are some patients of ours who’ve used Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy and their results: