The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to enhance tenodesmic lesion healing has been questioned over the years. The aim of this study was to evaluate current literature to establish the effectiveness of PRP for treating tenodesmic lesions through a systematic review, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and a meta-analysis. Studies comparing PRP with placebo or other treatments for horses with tenodesmic injuries or evaluated PRP effect on tendon and ligament explants were included. Outcomes were clinical, ultrasound, histologic, molecular evaluation, and adverse effects. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed each study’s risk of bias. Treatment effects were evaluated using risk ratios for dichotomous data, together with 95% CI. Data were pooled using the random-effects model. The quality of the evidence for each outcome was assessed using GRADE criteria. Twenty-four trials met inclusion criteria for systematic review, while fifteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed no significant differences in the outcomes between PRP and control groups. Finally, there is no definitive evidence that PRP enhances tendons and ligaments healing. Therefore, there is a need for more controlled trials to draw a firmer conclusion about the efficacy of PRP as a treatment for tenodesmic lesions in the horse.

Background: Ultrasonography (US) is the recommended imaging technique to evaluate jugular veins. This prospective randomized clinical study was designed to collect a series of B-mode US measurements of manually distended jugular veins in healthy Italian Standardbreds and to find possible correlations between ultrasound measurements and animal morphometric characteristics. Forty-two horses, eight males and 34 females (range 3–22 years; bodyweight 494.4 ± 41.7 kg), were included in the study. The diameters and wall thicknesses of both jugular veins were measured at three different sites of the neck. The differences in ultrasound measurements based on scans, age, gender, side, and site of the neck were evaluated by ANOVA or by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effects of the morphometric measures on each ultrasound parameter were evaluated by MANOVA (P < 0.05).Results: The ultrasound measurements did not differ significantly between the three different sites or between genders; hence, they were pooled together in the results. On the transverse scan, the mean dorsoventral and lateromedial diameters were 1.58 ± 0.23 and 2.20 ± 0.25 cm, respectively; the mean superficial and deep wall thicknesses (SWT and DWT) were 0.07 ± 0.01 and 0.08 ± 0.01 cm, respectively. On the longitudinal scan, the mean dorsoventral diameter was 1.59 ± 0.26 cm, and the SWT and DWT were both 0.08 ± 0.01 cm. Neck length, from the caudal edge of the mandible to the thoracic inlet, was related to the dorsoventral diameter in both longitudinal and transverse scan and to the SWT and DWT in transverse scan, whereas height at the withers (measured with tape) and estimated weight were related to the wall thickness. Dividing the subjects into groups by age in years (“young” 3–7, “mature” 8–14, “old” > 14), differences were found for the lateromedial diameter in the transverse scan and the SWT on the longitudinal scan. The main limitation of this study was that only one operator performed the measurements.Conclusion: The US measurements of the jugular veins and their relationship with morphometric measures reported in this manuscript might be considered as guidelines both for early diagnosis and monitoring jugular vein abnormalities in healthy Italian Standardbred horses.

The detection of subtle changes in the pituitary dimensions has relevant clinical implications. In cats, a few studies have established the cut-off values of the pituitary gland’s dimensions using small and inhomogeneous samples. The aims of this study were: to determine by computed tomography (CT) the pituitary linear dimensions and the pituitary-to-brain (P:B) ratio in a sample of domestic short-haired (DSH) cats; to assess the effects of sex, age, and weight on pituitary dimensions; and to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer agreement for such measurements. All skull CTs of DSH cats performed over four years using a multidetector CT and a standardized protocol were retrospectively reviewed. The exclusion criteria were: clinical, laboratory, or CT alterations of the pituitary gland, brain diseases, fractures of the neurocranium, and diabetes. The pituitary dimensions and brain area were assessed by two different observers using multiplanar reconstructions and automated segmentation tools. Fifty-one cats were included in the final sample. The intraclass correlation coefficients for intra- and inter-observer reliability were good/excellent, and moderate/good, respectively. No differences between sexes were detected, and negligible correlations were found between age and weight. According to this study, a pituitary gland with a height > 4 mm or a P:B ratio > 0.49 mm should be considered enlarged.

The kidney length (KL) to aortic diameter (AoD) ratio (KL/AoD) has been proposed as an ultrasonographic objective method to assess renal dimensions. However, its wide range of normal values limits sensitivity. Of note, its clinical utility in detecting renal disease has not been investigated. The main aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of KL/AoD in dogs with chronic kidney disease. Of the 227 dogs in the final sample, 185 were healthy and 42 were diseased. The obtained cut-off values for healthy dogs were similar to those previously reported. No differences were found between the KL of healthy and diseased dogs; however, using the KL/AoD ratio, diseased dogs showed a significantly smaller ratio (p = 0.0003), although a partial overlap between the two groups’ values was present. Considering the Youden index at KL/AoD = 6.3, the ROC curve displayed a specificity of 83.24% and a sensitivity of 41.67%, while for KL/AoD = 5.6, the specificity was 97.57% and the sensitivity was 13.10%. The results of this study provide clinical usefulness for the KL/AoD ratio method, revealing excellent specificity but poor sensitivity.