Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), one of the Regenerative Therapies, can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with Shock Wave Therapy.
Meddleton Equine Clinic Offers New and Exciting Treatment Option
There are many new and exciting therapies available to effectively treat devastating musculoskeletal injuries in horses. Veterinarians are now able to offer a variety of treatment options within a range of affordability. This is a very active area of research and new treatment modalities are emerging every year.
Platelet Rich Plasma Uses Your Horse’s Own Blood to Heal Injured Tissue!
- The horse’s own blood is drawn in a sterile manner and processed so that the platelets and growth factors are concentrated in plasma.
- This Platelet Rich Plasma is then injected into injured tendons or ligaments.
- Tissue healing is enhanced via critical bioactive autologous growth factors contained within platelets.
- Platelets secrete growth factors and bioactive metabolites that can be isolated and utilized to stimulate rapid healing and tissue regeneration.
- Platelets create a fibrin scaffold that supports and stimulates cell migration and proliferation, and serves as a reservoir for growth factors
PRP- How Does it Work
- Growth factors released from platelets include:
- Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
- Transforming growth factor –beta (TGF-B)
- Platelet-derived epidermal growth factor (PDEGF)
- Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
- Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
- Platelet-derived angiogenesis factor (PDAF)
- Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
- These growth factors contribute to stem cell recruitment, angiogenesis (blood vessel formation), extracellular matrix production and remodeling.
- In vitro studies demonstrate platelet concentrates to stimulate proliferation of epidermal cells, osteoblasts, fibroblasts, tendon cells, chondrocytes and bone mesenchymal stem cells.
- PRP has been shown to be very promising in enhancing the healing of tendons and ligaments.
Platelet Rich Plasma can Dramatically Improve Healing
Using Platelet Rich Plasma as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with Shock Wave Therapy can dramatically improve the quality and rate of healing, reduce the time off and the likelihood of re-injury and help get your horse back to your previous level of work.
Call Meddleton Equine Clinic if your horse has an injury and you want the best chance at returning to full work!
