Acute Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Using Novel Canine Models

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Regenerative Medicine
• Veterinary Surgery

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common and lead to pain, lameness, and osteoarthritis.
• Current acute management strategies for ACL injuries lack definitive evidence for optimal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of standard care (rest, NSAIDs), joint washout, and leukoreduced platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for acute ACL injury management in a preclinical canine model.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-seven dogs underwent ACL surgery (sham, exposed, or partial tear) and were randomized into three treatment groups (standard care, washout, PRP).
• Clinical assessments included lameness, pain, effusion, function, and range of motion over 8 weeks.
• Arthroscopic assessment and synovial fluid biomarker analysis were performed.

Main Results:

• Both washout and PRP treatments reduced lameness, pain, and effusion, while improving function and range of motion compared to standard care.
• PRP treatment demonstrated the most significant clinical benefits and lowest ACL pathology severity.
• Washout showed initial benefits but diminished over time; no treatment prevented osteoarthritis progression.

Conclusions:

• Leukoreduced PRP offers favorable clinical outcomes for acute ACL injury management.
• Joint washout provides short-term benefits over standard care.
• Further research is needed to identify treatments that can prevent post-traumatic osteoarthritis following ACL injury.