Ultrasonographic Findings in 41 Dogs Treated with Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate and Platelet-Rich Plasma for a Supraspinatus Tendinopathy: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective To report sonographic findings for dogs with a supraspinatus tendinopathy (ST) treated with an ultrasound-guided intratendinous injection of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).Methods Medical records for dogs diagnosed with an ST and treated with a BMAC-PRP injection were reviewed. Data collected included patient signalment, radiographic findings at the time of initial evaluation, and sonographic findings, including cross-sectional area (CSA), fiber pattern, and echogenicity.ResultsOf 70 records reviewed, 41 met the inclusion criteria. Mean CSA of the supraspinatus tendon decreased by 0.06 cm2 between baseline and 45 days post-treatment (p = 0.0025), and 0.09 cm2 between baseline and 90 days post-treatment (p < 0.0001). Analysis of CSA in dogs with a unilateral ST at baseline revealed a difference of 0.08 cm2 between the affected and unaffected tendon at baseline, with the affected tendon measuring larger than the contralateral tendon (p < 0.0001). This difference became statistically insignificant by 45 days after treatment (u1-u0 = 0.04 cm2, p = 0.2855) and remained so 90 days post-treatment (u1-u0 = 0.03 cm2, p = 0.1910). In most cases (90.6%), the fiber pattern and echogenicity was considered improved 90 days post treatment. In a minority of these cases (13.8%) the fiber pattern and echogenicity abnormalities were considered resolved.Conclusions Using qualitative and quantitative sonographic measures, BMAC-PRP was associated with an improvement in supraspinatus tendon size, fiber pattern, and echogenicity. Given the protracted nature of tendon healing, long-term evaluation may reveal continued improvements in chronic structural changes not captured during the current study. Functional studies are required to evaluate the clinical benefits of BMAC-PRP in the treatment of STs in dogs.Clinical significance An ST is a common contributor to forelimb lameness in dogs and remains notoriously difficult to treat. Previous studies have been associated with inconsistent treatment outcomes. In the current study, BMAC-PRP is investigated as a minimally invasive treatment option, revealing positive sonographic results.

Clinical and ultrasonographic study of using autogenous venous graft and platelet-rich plasma for repairing Achilles tendon rupture in dogs

“…Growth factors regulate and stimulate cellular processes during healing. Furthermore, the fibrin clot of PRP provides a matrix for the migration of cells responsible for healing (14,25). Our results are also consistent with findings obtained in previous studies reported that the using of PRP alone or combined with other types of the graft can shorten the required time for tendon healing (6,14).…”

“…One of the most important clinically relevant findings was that animals treated with PRP, or PRP and vein, accomplished a faster healing and adequate tendon tissue regeneration than those in other groups. This finding might indicate that PRP has the effectiveness to accelerate tendon healing where its efficacy could be attributed to the local delivery of a wide range of growth factors and proteins (14). This finding broadly supports the work of other studies stated that using platelet-rich plasma is essential in the process of tendon healing and accordingly restoring its function.…”

“…Furthermore, the fibrin clot of PRP provides a matrix for the migration of cells responsible for healing (14,25). Our results are also consistent with findings obtained in previous studies reported that the using of PRP alone or combined with other types of the graft can shorten the required time for tendon healing (6,14). In this study, the using of PRP with the vein grafts produced a synergic effect resulting in improvement of tendon healing, where the vein provided the mechanical support, while PRP provided the biological enhancement.…”

“…However, in tendons, by comparison with other tissues, the progress of healing process is too slow due to the poor blood supply and the high possibility of consequent adhesion that limit the passive and active mobility of the tendon (8). For these reasons, various materials, either synthetic or natural, have been utilized to obtain a superior and earlier healing process with reduced adhesion rates; for instances of these materials are fascia lata (9), pericardium (10), small intestine submucosa (11), vein (12), polypropylene mesh (13), and plasma rich platelets (14). Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous concentration of platelets above its normal levels in the whole blood.…”

“…Therefore, it has been used for accelerating the healing of both the hard and soft tissues (16). For examples, it has been used to repair musclotendinous tissues including Achilles tendon, rotator cuff and supraspinatus tendons (6,14). Vein grafts have been used to enhance the recovery of different tissues, such as a carotid artery (17) and musclo-tendinous tissue (12,18).…”