ASSESSMENT OF PLATELET RICH GEL IN ACL SURGERY. A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF FINAL RESULTS

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: We present the final results of a prospective study using a platelet enriched gel in ACL surgery with a bone-tendon-bone allograft. It was our aim to assess whether the use of a platelet enriched gel had beneficial effects in ACL surgery using a bone-tendon-bone allograft with respect to pain, inflammation and clinical results.

Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, study with alternate selection in 100 patients. There was a control group without gel (50 patients) and a gel group (50 patients) with platelet gel; both groups were homogeneous in both age and sex. The same anesthesia, surgery and analgesia protocol was used in all cases and hospital discharge was 24–48 hours postoperatively. Pain was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and inflammation with two patellar perimeters measured preoperatively and postoperatively (24 hours) and blood analysis with PCR was performed at 24 hours and 7 days. Clinical results were assessed with IKDC and a radiological double-blind study was performed by an independent radiologist using simple X-rays and Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 6 months.

Results: The groups were homogeneous as far as surgical techniques used. No significant differences were found between both groups (p> 0.05) either in inflammation or pain scale.

Discussion and Conclusions: With the platelet harvesting technique we used, the use of platelet enriched gel in ACL surgery with bone-tendon-bone allograft does not seem to have a beneficial effect on inflammatory or analytical parameters, nor on clinical results.