Joy, our Border Collie puppy, injured her left rib cage, resulting in a large hematoma behind her front leg. Her primary veterinarian, Dr. Betsy Gray placed a drain in the area and then as healing began to take place, I took her to Mountainside Veterinary Rehabilitation. Dr. Carlson began Integrative Medicine involving acupuncture, chiropractic and stretching exercises to assist Joy in her healing so that the injury would not inhibit her ability to fully extend and utilize her left leg. Joy is now in herding training and is fully healed with no evidence of her previous injury.
PRP – Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet rich plasma is a portion of the blood that has been processed, to contain a higher concentration of platelets than in the whole blood. In addition to cells, PRP contains other growth factors and substances that are normally in the plasma, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
The rationale for using PRP is that platelets contain many growth factors and signaling molecules in their granules. The most important of these are considered to be transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). These growth factors reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1 and TNF-a, which dampens the neutrophil response and the production of destructive matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Additionally, they encourage proliferation and differentiation of resident cells. The goal is that the body’s natural healing response is enhanced by delivering a high concentration of growth factors directly to the site of injury.
The most common way to prepare PRP is to draw the patient’s blood and then separate the blood using a centrifuge. The platelets can then be activated before injection causing them to release the contents of their granules and will also start clot formation.
In veterinary medicine, PRP has most often been reported for tendon/ligament injuries and osteoarthritis.
PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma is a convenient same day treatment that harnesses the healing abilities of the patient’s blood platelets. Veterinarians utilize the treatment in conjunction with common surgeries or as a part of treatment plans to combat injury and disease.