Thromboelastographic Clot Characteristics of Autologous Equine Blood Products After Activation by Autologous Thrombin, Bovine Thrombin, or Calcium Chloride.
Authors: Ghassab Sasan, Dulin Jennifer, Bertone Alicia L
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Thromboelastographic Assessment of Equine Blood Product Activation This 2015 study examined how three different activation methods affect the clotting characteristics of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and concentrated platelet-poor plasma (cPPP) in horses, using thromboelastography to measure clot formation dynamics across six healthy animals. Platelet-rich plasma demonstrated superior clot strength and speed regardless of activator type, whilst concentrated platelet-poor plasma consistently underperformed, exhibiting weak clots, slow formation rates, and prolonged initiation times. Bovine thrombin proved most efficient for rapid clot formation and was comparable to calcium chloride for clot strength, whereas autologous thrombin generated unexpectedly poor clot strength; calcium chloride, conversely, produced strong clots but required considerably longer initiation and maturation times. For regenerative medicine applications, the combination of PRP with either bovine thrombin or calcium chloride offers the most clinically useful clotting profiles, though autologous thrombin remains a viable all-autologous option if rapidity is not critical, whilst cPPP appears better suited to topical plasma spray applications than injectable indications. These findings have important implications for selecting both the blood product and activator when preparing biologics for soft tissue injuries or joint pathology, as clot characteristics directly influence scaffold formation, growth factor delivery, and cell retention at the treatment site.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •For clinical use of platelet-rich plasma products, activate with bovine thrombin or calcium chloride rather than autologous thrombin to achieve superior clot formation
- •PRP outperforms concentrated platelet-poor plasma for applications requiring strong, rapid clot formation; reserve cPPP for plasma spray indications only
- •If pursuing an autologous-only protocol, autologous thrombin activation is acceptable but provides weaker clots than bovine thrombin or calcium chloride alternatives
Key Findings
- •PRP demonstrated greatest clot strength and quickest clot rate compared to cPPP and citrated whole blood across all activation methods
- •Bovine thrombin activation resulted in shortest clot initiation time and quickest clot rate, with clot strength similar to calcium chloride
- •Autologous thrombin produced suboptimal clot strength compared to bovine thrombin and calcium chloride activation methods
- •PRP combined with bovine thrombin or calcium chloride provided optimal clotting characteristics for clinical application