Effect of platelet-rich plasma for treatment of Achilles tendons in free-moving rats after surgical incision and treatment.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate, both histopathologically and biomechanically, the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on surgically repaired Achilles tendon rupture recovery in rats.

Methods: The study included 25 17-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats with an average weight of 500-550 g. Five rats were used as donors, while 20 rats were separated as PRP group (n=10) and control group (n=10). The Achilles tendons of the rats were cut transversely, and PRP was administered to the PRP group, while the control group received serum physiologically to create the same surgical effect. In previous studies, it was shown that this serum does not affect tendon recovery. Fifteen and 30 days post-treatment, the rats were sacrificed, and their Achilles tendons were extracted and examined histopathologically and biomechanically.

Results: Based on the obtained findings, it was observed that the histopathologic Movin and Bonar scores of PRP group on the 15th and 30th day post-treatment were significantly lower than those of the control group (p=0.019, p=0.017, respectively), while no significant difference was found in maximum force (Fmax) values in biomechanical measures on the 15th and 30th day post-treatment.

Conclusion: It is thought that PRP use in Achilles tendon ruptures positively affects histopathological recovery in the early period, but that it does not produce the same biomechanical effect. We believe that PRP use for qualified tendon recovery is histopathologically beneficial.