Platelet-rich plasma alone is not sufficient to enhance suture repair of the ACL in skeletally immature animals: an in vivo study.

Abstract

In this study, we hypothesize that supplementation of suture repair of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) will improve the biomechanics of the repair. Six 30-kg pigs underwent bilateral suture repair of the ACL. One side was treated with suture repair alone, while the contralateral side was treated with suture repair augmented with PRP. After 14 weeks in vivo, anterior-posterior (AP) knee laxity and the tensile properties of the repaired ligament were measured. The addition of PRP to the suture repairs did not improve AP knee laxity at 30 degrees (p = 0.73) or 60 degrees (p = 0.65). It also did not improve the maximum tensile load (p = 0.64) or linear stiffness (p = 0.42) of the ACL repairs after 14 weeks in vivo. The model had 80% power to detect a 30% improvement of biomechanical properties with PRP; thus, we are confident that a clinically meaningful effect as a result of adding PRP is unlikely. Use of PRP alone to supplement suture repair of the ACL is ineffective in this animal model.