title: Can Platelet-Rich Plasma Protect Rat Achilles Tendons From the Deleterious Effects of Triamcinolone Acetonide?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injections are widely used for tendinitis but have deleterious effects, including tendon degeneration or tendon rupture.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether adding platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood fraction that participates in tissue repair processes, to TA can prevent its deleterious effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat Achilles tendons were injected with TA, TA + PRP, PRP alone, or saline (control). Biomechanical testing and histological analyses were performed on Achilles tendons 1 week after injections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximum failure loads in the control, TA, TA + PRP, and PRP groups were 31.7 ± 2.3, 19.0 ± 3.6, 31.0 ± 7.1, and 30.2 ± 6.8 N, respectively. The tendon stiffness in the control, TA, TA + PRP, and PRP groups was 12.1 ± 1.8, 7.5 ± 1.8, 11.0 ± 2.8, and 11.3 ± 2.5 N/mm, respectively. The maximum failure load and stiffness were significantly lower in the TA group compared with the other 3 groups. There was no significant difference between the TA + PRP and control groups. Cell invasions, vacuolation, collagen attenuation, and increased type III collagen expression were histologically observed in the TA group; however, these changes were prevented by the simultaneous administration of PRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administering PRP may prevent deleterious effects caused by TA; therefore, PRP may be used as a protective agent in clinical situations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PRP can be useful as a protective agent for sports injury patients receiving local corticosteroid injections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kokubu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mifune
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuyuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
keywords: corticosteroid injection; platelet-rich plasma; rat Achilles tendon; triamcinolone acetonide