A Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection into the Sectioned Achilles Tendon of a Rat
Transcript
Place an anesthetized recipient rat with a shaved hind limb on a warm pad under a dissecting microscope.
Incise the skin and dissect the fascia, exposing the Achilles tendon complex.
Remove the plantaris tendon and excise a small segment from the Achilles tendon, creating a lesion.
Suture the incision and allow the rat to recover.
Collect whole blood from a genetically different donor rat, mixed with an anticoagulant.
Centrifuge to obtain a lower phase of red blood cells and an upper phase of platelet-rich plasma, or PRP.
Transfer the PRP to a tube and spin down the platelets. Partially remove the supernatant and resuspend the platelets to obtain concentrated PRP.
Add calcium chloride and incubate to induce platelet activation. Then, inject the activated platelets into the sutured site of the recipient.
Activated platelets release specific cytokines and growth factors that induce tendon repair at the lesion site.
