Clean Run - August 2014 - 55

The Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at VOSM (courtesy of VOSM)

Musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound of the iliopsoas of Squid Vicious reveals an area of disruption and fibrous tissue
(courtesy of VOSM; permission by Monica Bush)

cells, which can cause pain and inflammation. To make PRP, a sample of blood is obtained from the patient, mixed with an anticoagulant, and processed either manually by spinning it in a centrifuge to separate its components (centrifugation), or
through an automated system. This process concentrates the platelets and growth
factors, amplifying healing properties.
When considering this technology for your dog, it is important to use a system that
has been validated for canine use. It is advisable to look for a system that is able
to concentrate the platelets at least five to seven fold, significantly decrease white
blood cells, and remove red blood cells. PRP therapy is often performed as a series
of one to three injections, with two weeks between each injection.

Stem Cell Therapy Collection
Stem cells are the body's progenitor cells from which all other cells are derived.
Recent studies have shown that stems cells can regenerate and heal injured tissue,
decrease inflammation, stimulate new blood supply to support healing, activate
resident stem cells, create a scaffold for healing tissue, protect cells from death,
and break down scar tissue. Stem cells can be obtained from numerous sources
from a patient's own body (autologous adult-derived mesenchymal cells). The
most common places to harvest adult-derived mesenchymal cells are either from
the patient's bone marrow or adipose (fat) tissue. Both bone marrow-derived and
adipose-derived stem cells have the ability to differentiate into cartilage, bone, tendons, and ligaments. Recent studies have shown that bone marrow-derived stem
cells and adipose-derived stem cells are equally viable and effective.

August 14

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Bone marrow-derived stem cells are
obtained under brief anesthesia or
heavy sedation. A needle is inserted
into the medullary cavity (center of the
bone) and the cells are aspirated with a
syringe. The sample is then processed
and prepared for injection. Similarly,
adipose-derived stem cells are collected under a brief anesthesia. While
there are numerous locations where fat
may be collected, recent studies suggest that the falciform ligament (fat
located inside the abdominal cavity)
yields the highest quantity and quality
of adipose-derived stem cells. A small
incision is made along the cranial abdominal area to obtain the fat.
Once the sample is obtained, it is then
processed and prepared for injection.
Both bone-marrow derived stem cells
and adipose-derived stem cells can be
processed either on-site or shipped to
a university for processing, culturing,
and banking for future use. Recent
studies have shown that PRP both activates and recruits stem cells. Thus, PRP
is often combined with stem cells prior
to injection to both activate and act as
a scaffold for the stem cells.

Regenerative Medicine
Therapy Administration
Regenerative medicine therapy is a
minimally invasive procedure that
typically can be performed on an outpatient basis. Sedation or general anesthesia may or may not be required,
depending on the location of the injection. Joint injections are usually
performed without sedation; however,
some joints, such as the hip, require sedation and may also require advanced
imaging (fluoroscopy) for guidance. For
soft tissue injuries, ultrasound guidance is used to ensure accuracy of the
injection since both PRP and stem cells
are most effective when administered
directly into the site of injury. Sedation
is often required for ultrasound-guided
injections. The most common side effect is mild discomfort associated with
the injection, which typically resolves
within 12 to 24 hours of the injection.
For Squid Vicious, bone marrow derived
stem cells were harvested from the proximal left femur for on-site preparation of
regenerative progenitor cells, and blood
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Clean Run - August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2014