Regenerative Therapies for the Treatment of Tenodesmic Injuries in Horses

The Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Treatment of Tenodesmic Lesions in Horses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Experimental Data

“…Seven studies [ 3 , 31 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ] (study ID in Table 1 : 3, 7, 13, 14, 20–22) of the twenty-four included in this review described in vitro investigations, and the remaining seventeen [ 30 , 35 , 36 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ] originated from in vivo experiments.…”

“…Most of the trials studied the effect of PRP on tendons [ 30 , 31 , 36 , 37 , 40 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 51 , 55 ] (study ID in Table 1 : 2, 4–7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 24); fewer articles analyzed its efficacy on ligaments [ 35 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 46 , 50 , 53 , 54 ] (study ID in Table 1 : 8, 10, 16, 19, 20–23), and five of them [ 3 , 38 , 42 , 49 , 52 ] (study ID in Table 1 : 1, 3, 13, 15, 18) examined its influence in the healing of lesions of both SDFT and SL. Twenty-two out of twenty-four studies reported positive effects by PRP in tendinitis and desmitis treatment, whereas in one study [ 35 ] (study ID in Table 1 : 10), no difference between control and treated groups was reported.…”

“…Tendon and ligament injuries are a serious career-compromising disease and a major cause of lameness, reduced performance, and premature retirement in horses of every discipline and aptitude [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Tendons tend to heal slowly, forming disorganized and collagen-rich scar tissue, with inferior mechanical properties compared to intact tendons [ 4 ].…”

“…Systematic PRP evaluation for repairing tendon and ligament injuries may provide a scientific reference for treatment and clinical application strategies. Indeed, although in human and veterinary medicine several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been subsequently published [ 3 , 15 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], it is still not clear which product or combination of substrates is most appropriate related to individual cases. Due to the variety of lesions and products, clinical studies would require large numbers, with economic and ethical concerns [ 30 , 31 , 32 ].…”

Microdamage in the equine superficial digital flexor tendon

“…Although the complex mechanisms that precede the accumulation of irreversible damage in vivo are still poorly understood, human and animal studies on tendon repair after injury give some indication of the healing process. 59,77,[80][81][82] In a manner similar to other tissues, healing consists of three phases (for an in-depth review see 83): (a) the inflammatory phase, (b) the proliferative phase (lasting weeks) and (c) the remodelling phase (lasting months/years). This process is complex and requires contributions of both intrinsic and extrinsic cell populations to the healing process.…”