Intravitreous fibronectin and platelet-derived growth factor. New model for traction retinal detachment.

In proliferative vitreoretinopathy and trauma, traction retinal detachments result from cellular migration into the vitreous cavity with contractile membrane formation. Cleary and Ryan have established the efficacy of intravitreous injection of autologous blood in reproducing this pathologic process in the rabbit eye. It has previously been shown that two serum components, fibronectin and platelet-derived growth factor, stimulate cellular migration. We now show that contractile membranes and traction retinal detachments occur in 72% of rabbit eyes within three weeks following intravitreous injection of fibronectin and platelet-derived growth factor. These results provide a straightforward new model to study the development of intravitreous cellular membranes and traction retinal detachments.