Abstract
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) commonly refers to blood products which contain a higher platelet (PLT) concentration as compared to normal plasma. Autologous PRP has been shown to be safe and effective in promoting the natural processes of soft tissue healing or reconstruction in humans and horses. Variability in PLT concentration has been observed in practice between PRP preparations from different patients or from the same individual under different conditions. A change in PLT concentration could modify PRP efficacy in routine applications. The aim of this study was to test the influence of environmental, individual and agonistic variables on the PLT concentration of PRP in horses. Six healthy Standardbred mares were exposed to six different variables with a one-week washout period between variables, and PRP was subsequently obtained from each horse. The variables were time of withdrawal during the day (morning/evening), hydration status (overhydration/dehydration) treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and training periods on a treadmill. The platelet concentration was significantly higher in horses treated with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (P = 0.03). The leukocyte concentration increased 2–9 fold with respect to whole blood in the PRP which was obtained after exposure to all the variable considered. Environmental variation in platelet concentration should be taken into consideration during PRP preparation.
Highlights
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) commonly refers to blood products which contain a higher platelet (PLT) concentration as compared to normal plasma
In horses, where the baseline concentration of platelets is 200 × 109/l [5], a benchmark of 250 × 109/l has commonly been used for equine PRP [6]
The PLT and the white blood cells (WBCs) concentrations were compared using the base values and the concentrations obtained after exposition to the variables; a comparison between the groups was carried out using a Wilcoxon paired sample test (MedCalc 6.3)
Summary
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) commonly refers to blood products which contain a higher platelet (PLT) concentration as compared to normal plasma. The currently accepted benchmark for PRP used in human medicine is a platelet (PLT) concentration of at least a four/five-fold increase over whole blood or a platelet count range between 150 × 109/l and 350 × 109/l [2, 4]. The present study was designed to analyse some environmental and intrinsic factors which could influence the PRP platelet concentration in equine medicine.
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