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. 2012 Aug;36(4):458-65.
doi: 10.5535/arm.2012.36.4.458. Epub 2012 Aug 27.

The effects of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma injection according to the severity of collagenase-induced knee osteoarthritis in a rabbit model

Dong Rak Kwon  1 , Gi Young Park, Sung-Uk Lee
Affiliations

The effects of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma injection according to the severity of collagenase-induced knee osteoarthritis in a rabbit model

Dong Rak Kwon et al. Ann Rehabil Med. 2012 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the cartilage regenerative effects of intra-aricular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are different, according to the severity of osteoarthritis (OA), in a collagenase-induced knee OA rabbit model.

Method: New Zealand white rabbits (N=21) were randomly divided into three groups. Three different doses (0.25 mg, group 1; 0.5 mg, group 2; and 1.0 mg, group 3) of collagenase were injected twice into both knees of each group under an ultrasound guidance. The mean platelet concentration of the PRP fraction was 2,664±970×10(3)/µl and was enriched 8.2-times, compared with the whole blood. PRP (0.3 ml) was injected into the left knee and saline (0.3 ml) into the right knee at 4 weeks, and macroscopic and histological scores of both injected knees were evaluated at 9 weeks after the first collagenase injection.

Results: Macroscopic and histological scores of group 3 were significantly higher than those of group 1 and 2 (p<0.05). Macroscopic and histological scores of the PRP-injected knees were significantly lower than those of the saline-injected knees, in all groups (p<0.05). Differences of gross morphologic and histologic scores between saline- and PRP-injected knees in group 3 were significantly higher than those in group 1 and 2 (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Intra-articular PRP injection influences cartilage regeneration in all severities of rabbit knee OA, and the cartilage regenerative power of PRP injection in moderate knee OA was greater than that in mild or very mild OA. A large preclinical trial is needed to establish the validity of our study.

Keywords: Collagenase; Knee; Osteoarthritis; Platelet-rich plasma.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(A) Intra-articular injection was performed into a knee of rabbit under ultrasound guidance. (B) Longitudinal ultrasound image showed the needle (arrows) in the knee joint of rabbit.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Time line of collagenase, saline, and PRP injection. Both knees injections were performed twice with 0.25 mg (group 1), 0.5 mg (group 2), and 1.0 mg (group 3) collagenase on day 1 and 4, respectively. 0.3 ml PRP was injected into the left knee and 0.3 ml saline into the right knee in three groups at 4 weeks after the first collagenase injection. All rabbits were euthanized by CO inhalation at 4 weeks after saline and PRP injections.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Gross morphological (rectangular areas) and histological (hematoxylin and eosin staining, ×40) findings of knee osteoarthritis in group 1, 2, and 3 with intra-articular injection of saline (A-F) and platelet rich plasma (G-L).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Comparison of differences in gross morphological score between saline and PRP injected knees among three groups. YS: Yoshimi's score. *p<0.05 by Kruskall-Wallis test.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Comparison of differences in histological evaluation score between saline and PRP Injected knees among three groups. MS: modified Mankin's score. *p<0.05 by Kruskall-Wallis test.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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