Therapeutic Effect of Equine Musculoskeletal Disease using Autogenous Platelet Rich Plasma

This study evaluated the therapeutic effect using autogenous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the musculoskeletal disease of Thoroughbred horses raised in South Korea. Twenty-five Thoroughbred horses (15 adult horses more than 2 years old, 10 fostering horses less than 2 years old) were diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorders (2 horses with desmitis of the suspensory ligament, 9 horses with osteoarthritis, 14 horses with fracture) by ultrasound and X-ray were used in this study. We collected venous blood of patients by using ACP Double Syringe after sterilization of jugular site, and then autogenous PRP was taken through centrifugation. We were observed the healing process of the lesion by using ultrasonography and X-ray images after injecting 4mL of autogenous PRP into each lesion for 2-times. Results of this study, 20 (80%) of 25 damaged horses returned to normal competition. The core lesion in the ligament disappeared in 90 days and healthy tissue regenerated. The fracture line of the cortex of bone disappeared in 60 days, and no side effects such as osteophytosis during healing progress. Remodeled articular surface, and cartilage defect, a fragment in joint disappeared. It could be confirmed that applying autogenous PRP treatment is an excellent regenerative therapy for equine locomotorium lesions.