Growth Factors in Horses (PRP)
Local infiltration in the damaged tissues of autologous plasma rich in platelet growth factors in horses (PRP) is a technique widely used in equine sports medicine by veterinarians of horses, PRPs have great success mainly in the treatment of joint injuries such as osteochondrosis, also in injuries of tendons and ligaments, these techniques of cell regeneration and tissues are also used to accelerate and improve the processes of muscle healing.
This technique is also associated with joint surgeries promoting the healing of tissues. Horses that suffer tendon and ligament injuries usually do not succeed in their return to athletic competition, due to the limited elasticity of the tendons.
Repair tissue is usually functionally of lower quality than normal tendon tissue, increasing the risk of re-injury. The normal non-injured tendons usually have a large amount of type 1 collagen fibers.
After the injury, tendons tend to repair themselves with a large amount of type 4 collagen fibers that have a lower functional quality.
Collagen Type 1 consists of long fibers with some cross-links. In contrast, type 4 collagen is formed by short fibers with and many cross-links. The problem is that these type 4 short fibers do not move independently and, therefore, are more prone to re-injury.
The main advantages of platelet growth factors or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are:
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Stimulates Active neovascularization of injured tissue that helps nutrition, oxygenation, and the elimination of toxic metabolites in tissues.
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Growth factor in horses increases and stimulates the cellularity associated with the availability of nutrients from the tendinous fibers, activating the regeneration of type 1 fibers in the tendons.
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Stimulate the healing process, reduce pain and accelerate healing.
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Impulse at half the time of recovery and allowing a return to the quality of life of a sport animal.
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The Growth factors in horses causes the healing of lesions of bones, tendons and ligaments. In lesions reduces the times of differentiation of epithelial tissues and reorganization
Growth Factors in horses
The technology for obtaining platelet-rich plasma is simple, non-invasive and only takes about 30 minutes. First a blood sample is taken from the jugular vein of the horses by a horse vet. It is then transferred to a specific spec kit that is then placed on a specific portable sphere. Through mild sedation, plasma-rich platelets infiltrate the lesion by guided ultrasound
In general, these treatments are repeated two or three times each in two weeks depending on the case. These horses contracted with PRP must undergo a rigorous training plan with periodic controls made by a horse veterinarian that will direct the gradual increase of the exercise.