Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Assessment in Degenerative Discovertebral Complexes (DVC) Using Quantitative MRI at 4.7T: A Preliminary Animal In Vivo Study

This exploratory in vivo study investigated the therapeutic potential of intradiscal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in a rat model of degenerative disc disease (DDD) using quantitative 4.7-T MRI and histologic correlation. Eight female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent induction of disc–vertebral complex degeneration through combined mechanical injury and type I collagenase injection. Immediately thereafter, a single intradiscal injection of leukocyte-poor PRP was administered. Longitudinal MRI evaluation included 3D ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging, T1 mapping, and T2 mapping at baseline and during follow-up. In untreated discs, degeneration was associated with progressive decreases in nucleus pulposus T1 and T2 values and increased annulus fibrosus T2 values, reflecting dehydration and structural disorganization. In contrast, PRP-treated discs showed relative preservation of nucleus pulposus T1 and T2 relaxation times, while annulus fibrosus T2 values remained more stable, suggesting attenuation of degenerative changes. UTE-derived signal changes were less discriminatory between treated and untreated groups. Histologic analysis confirmed severe nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus disorganization in untreated discs, whereas PRP-treated discs demonstrated milder alterations with preserved vertebral endplate architecture. Overall, these preliminary findings suggest that the longitudinal effect of a treatment through intradiscal PRP is feasible and this injection may modulate early degenerative changes in the current animal model. However, the results should be interpreted with caution because of the exploratory design, the aggressive animal degeneration model, the absence of a sham-injection comparator group, and the small number of animals studied.