Meissner JM, Chmieliu0144ska A, Ofri R, Cisu0142o-Sankowska A, Marycz K.Corneal ulcers, characterized by severe inflammation of the cornea, can lead to serious, debilitating complications and may be vision-threatening for horses. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in corneal stem progenitor cell (CSSC) dysfunction and explore the potential of equine adipose-derived stromal stem cell (ASC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) to improve corneal wound healing. We showed that CSSCs expressed high levels of CD44, CD45, and CD90 surface markers, indicating their stemness. Supplementation of the ER-stress-inducer tunicam...
Jugant S, Regnier A, Douet JY.To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of diamond burr debridement (DBD) for the treatment of calcific band keratopathy (CBK) in horses. Methods: Medical records from horses with CBK were reviewed over a period of 4 years. Diagnosis of CBK was based on slit-lamp examination findings, and DBD was performed on standing sedated horses. Follow-up was obtained by clinical reevaluation of the treated eyes or a telephone survey with the referring veterinarian. Results: Twenty-two horses of different ages (median: 11 years; range: 5-23) representing 24 CBK-affected eyes (14 left eyes and 10 righ...
Charlotte C P, Benoit B, Olivier M L.To evaluate secondary intention wound healing in the horse's limbs when treated with the synthetic epidermis spray (Novacika®, Cohesive S.A.S, France) or with a standard bandaging technique. Methods: Six Standardbred mares were included in the study. Four 2.5 x 2.5 cm full-thickness skin wounds were created on each thoracic limb. Two wounds were located on the dorsoproximal aspect of the cannon bone and the other two at the dorsoproximal aspect of the fetlock. Six hours after creation, wounds were randomly treated with synthetic epidermis spray or standard bandaging. The wounds were assessed ...
Smith EJ, Beaumont RE, Dudhia J, Guest DJ.Tissue fibrosis following tendon injury is a major clinical problem due to the increased risk of re-injury and limited treatment options; however, its mechanism remains unclear. Evidence suggests that insufficient resolution of inflammation contributes to fibrotic healing by disrupting tenocyte activity, with the NF-κB pathway being identified as a potential mediator. Equine embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived tenocytes may offer a potential cell-based therapy to improve tendon regeneration, but how they respond to an inflammatory environment is largely unknown. Our findings reveal for the firs...
Iribarne A, Palma MB, Andrini L, Riccillo F, Rodriguez D, Casella M, Garay F, Zabala JS, Mazza L, Muro A, Buero G, Miriuka SG, Carosella E....Wound healing after skin injury is a complex process, particularly in equines where leg wounds are prevalent and their repair is complicated due to the anatomical characteristics. Conventional treatments are not effective enough. The umbilical cord offers an unlimited source of adult mesenchymal stem cells (ucMSCs) from Wharton's jelly tissue. The present study aims to demonstrate the safety and therapeutic potential of the allogeneic use of equine ucMSCs (e-ucMSCs) in the healing of severe equine leg wounds. The methods employed were the isolation, culture and expansion of e-ucMSCs. Flow cyto...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Shurlock T.Feedstuffs are often recommended to mitigate potential damage from acid associated with equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). In acidic conditions, pectin alters its structure to one like mucus and binds the stomach mucosa, whilst alfalfa has a strong intrinsic acid buffering capacity. The study aimed to determine whether feeding a commercial beet pulp/alfalfa/oat fibre mix aids ESGD healing and/or prevention of recurrence. Ten adult horses with naturally occurring ESGD were included. All animals were treated with omeprazole as per the attending veterinarian's recommendation and randomly all...
Wilmink JM, van Weeren PR.The modified Meek technique is not commonly used in equine wound management, despite the consistent reliable and superior results compared with other grafting techniques. Major drawbacks are the need for specialised, expensive equipment and general anaesthesia. Objective: To describe adjustments of the modified Meek technique enabling use in the standing horse without the need for the full equipment. This implied the use of full-thickness skin grafts manually harvested from the pectoral area and manually cut into micrografts. Graft acceptance; healing progress; and final functional and cosmeti...
Santschi EM.Equine subchondral lucencies (SCL) have been described since the first availability of suitable radiographic equipment. The initial clinical sign can be lameness, but SCLs are often first found on surveys of juvenile horses and are primarily a radiographic concern for public auctions. When lameness is present, it varies from subtle to obvious and can be intermittent. Some SCLs heal spontaneously, and some remain blemishes, but when the SCL and lameness are persistent, further damage to the joint and limitations to an athletic career are likely. SCLs were initially described in the distal limb ...
Wilcox CV, Knych HK, Katzman SA, Arthur RM, Rodriguez V, Finno CJ.There are two FDA-approved bisphosphonate products, clodronate (Osphos®) and tiludronate (Tildren®), for use in horses. It is hypothesized that bisphosphonates can produce analgesic effects and prevent proper healing of microcracks in bone. Therefore, bisphosphonate use is banned in racehorses. However, bisphosphonates have a short detection window in the blood before sequestration in the skeleton, making the reliability of current drug tests questionable. Seven exercising Thoroughbred horses were administered clodronate (1.8 mg/kg i.m.), and four were administered saline. RNA was isolated...
Labens R, Raidal S, Borgen-Nielsen C, Pyecroft S, Pant SD, De Ridder T.Topical wound treatments rely on carrier formulations with little to no biological impact. The potential for a common vehicle, a propylene glycol (PG) gel, to affect wound healing measures including microbiota is not known. Microbiome characterization, based on next generation sequencing methods is typically performed on tissue or directly obtained wound fluid samples. The utility for primary wound dressings to characterize equine wound microbiota in the context of topical treatments is currently unknown. This investigation reports the topical effect of an 80% PG based gel on wound healing and...
Hosny OH, Abd-Elkareem M, Ali MM, Ahmed AF.Ulcerative keratitis is a common disease in horses which may cause blindness. To prevent secondary bacterial and fungal infections and promote quick re-growth of the epithelial layer, different treatment approaches have been employed. This study aimed to examine the effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) gel on the healing process of experimentally induced corneal ulcers in donkeys. Nine healthy adult donkeys were used for the study. The donkeys were divided into two groups: the control group, where no medication was applied to the corneal ulcer, and the A-PRF gel group, where A-PRF ...
Pu00e9rez Fraile A, Gonzu00e1lez-Cubero E, Martu00ednez-Flu00f3rez S, Olivera ER, Villar-Suu00e1rez V.Musculoskeletal injuries in horses have a great economic impact, predominantly affecting tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, which have limited natural regeneration. Cell therapy, which uses mesenchymal stem cells due to their tissue differentiation properties and anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects, aims to restore damaged tissue. In this manuscript, we performed a systematic review using the Parsifal tool, searching the PubMed and Web of Science databases for articles on regenerative medicine for equine musculoskeletal injuries. Our review covers 17 experimental clinical studies ca...
Barton CK, Samol MA, Nelson BB, Piquini G, Smanik LE, Goodrich LR.To raise awareness of the potential for intra-articular subchondral bone sequestrum formation secondary to a traumatic or septic process to enable more rapid identification of this uncommon but possible outcome in future cases. Methods: A client-owned 12-year-old Appaloosa mare. Unassigned: The mare had a wound to the lateral aspect of the fourth metatarsal bone (MT4) that communicated with the distal tarsal joints. Radiographs revealed a displaced, comminuted fracture of MT4. Results: The horse underwent aggressive debridement of the wound and MT4 as well as, on 2 occasions, needle joint lava...
Pechanec MY, Mienaltowski MJ.Equine tendinopathies are challenging because of the poor healing capacity of tendons commonly resulting in high re-injury rates. Within the tendon, different regions - tendon proper (TP) and peritenon (PERI) - contribute to the tendon matrix in differing capacities during injury and aging. Aged tendons have decreased repair potential; the underlying transcriptional and epigenetic changes that occur in the TP and PERI regions are not well understood. The objective of this study was to assess TP and PERI regional differences in adolescent, midlife, and geriatric horses using RNA sequencing and ...
Szu00f3stek-Mioduchowska A, Wu00f3jtowicz A, Sadowska A, Moza Jalali B, Su0142yszewska M, u0141ukasik K, Gurgul A, Szmatou0142a T....In the current study, transcriptome profiles of mare endometrium, classified into categories I, IIA, and IIB according to Kenney and Doig, were compared using RNA sequencing, analyzed, and functionally annotated using in silico analysis. In the mild stage (IIA) of endometrosis compared to category I endometrium, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated to inflammation, abnormal metabolism, wound healing, and quantity of connective tissue. In the moderate stage (IIB) of endometrosis compared to category I endometrium, DEGs were annotated to inflammation, fibrosis, cellular home...
Cullen MD, Pettitt RA, Tomlinson AW, Louro LF, Bennell AJ, Michael R, Stack JD.To describe the surgical treatment, postoperative management, and outcome of a miniature horse undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: Case report. Methods: A 4-year-old miniature horse stallion weighing 85 kg. Methods: The horse presented with left coxofemoral luxation of ~6 weeks duration. Computed tomography confirmed craniodorsal luxation with marked degenerative changes to the femoral head. The horse underwent THA using cementless press fit implants, including an interlocking lateral bolt for the femoral stem. Results: The horse recovered well from anesthesia but suffered a ...
Bergstrom TC, Spriet M, O'Brion J, Carpenter R.To assess 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) findings associated with metacarpal/metatarsal condylar fractures at the time of fracture repair and through healing. Methods: Prospective descriptive study. Methods: Fourteen Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: 18F-NaF PET was performed within 4 days of surgical metacarpal/metatarsal condylar fracture repair, on both the injured and contralateral limb. Follow-up PET scans were offered at 3- and 5-months post fracture repair. Areas of abnormal uptake were assessed using a previously validated grading system. Results: Ei...
Cooper HE, Bowlby C, Long S, Durgam SS.To investigate matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and their inhibitors tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP) gene expression and secretion during equine deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) tenocyte and macrophage (undifferentiated, proinflammatory, and regulatory) co-culture. Methods: Third passage DDF tenocytes and donor-matched macrophages differentiated from peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes from 5 healthy horses ages 9-11 years, euthanized for reasons unrelated to musculoskeletal conditions. Methods: Passage 3 DDT tenocyte aggregate cultures were co-cultured with undifferentiated (cont...
Imposimato I, Mariella J, Freccero F, Gialletti R.Riboflavin/UV-A corneal cross-linking (CXL) has been applied to treat corneal ulcers in adult horses, but its use in critically ill neonatal foals has not been described. Five cases of hospitalized, critically ill neonatal foals that were in intensive care with corneal ulcers, the ophthalmic treatment, and their outcome up to 1 year are described. A single treatment of CXL phototherapy was performed in three of five foals (five eyes). The application of a riboflavin ophthalmic solution for 20 minutes was followed by the UV-A light irradiation at 30 mW/cm2 for 3 minutes. Topical antibiotic admi...
Heuerman J, Haiub H, Cull E, Lupatini R, Shrum B, Sidhu R.In this case report, we highlight the benefits of Medisca CopaSil application for scar healing in a horse having sustained second-degree burn injuries covering most of its back. The application of CopaSil started three months after sustaining the burn injury when silver sulfadiazine topical cream treatment showed no significant improvement. CopaSil is formulated with ingredients that may help in reducing inflammation and accelerate healing by modulating the immune response. After using CopaSil for six months, the horse's back was healed, and the hair began to regrow. The complete healing...
Boone L, Peroni J.Regenerative medicine is defined as the process of replacing or regenerating cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function. The use of regenerative medicine in equine practice to treat injured musculoskeletal tissues with limited capacity for intrinsic healing is growing. This article provides the practitioner with a brief and basic overview of the regenerative products currently used in equine practice.
Chevalier JM, Pearson GB.The objective of this study was to report clinical outcomes of horses with naturally occurring full-thickness skin lacerations treated with an amorphous silicate dressing. We hypothesized that wounds treated with an amorphous silicate dressing would have minimal complications and lesion resolution without formation of exuberant granulation tissue. 11 client-owned horses. Clinical records of 11 horses with distal limb wounds treated with an amorphous silicate dressing were collected from participating veterinarians across the US. Wound healing progression was monitored by the veterinarian and o...
Koch DW, Schnabel LV, Ellis IM, Bates RE, Berglund AK.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete paracrine factors and extracellular matrix proteins that contribute to their ability to support tissue healing and regeneration. Both the transcriptome and the secretome of MSCs can be altered by treating the cells with cytokines, but neither have been thoroughly investigated following treatment with the specific cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2. RNA-sequencing and western blotting were used to compare gene and protein expression between untreated and TGF-β2-treated equine bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). A co-culture system was utilized t...
Rosing T, Malka M, Brafman D, Fisher PW.Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an increasingly popular form of treatment for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who, for one reason or another, find psychotherapy and other traditional treatment approaches unsuitable or unhelpful. However, the concomitant growth of research in the field is yet to engage with key factors relating to EAT; specifically, there are few studies considering the phenomenological perspective of patients, and the embodied knowledge deriving from the lived experience of PTSD patients who participated in EAT-based intervention programmes. Based ...
Pluim M, Heier A, Plomp S, Boshuizen B, Gru00f6ne A, van Weeren R, Vanderperren K, Martens A, Dewulf J, Chantziaras I, Koene M, Luciani A....High-power laser therapy gained popularity recently as a regenerative treatment for tendinitis and desmitis in the horse. However, studies evaluating the effects of laser therapy on tissue repair at the histological level in large mammals are lacking. Objective: To evaluate the effects of high-power laser therapy on suspensory desmitis healing, using a model of suspensory ligament branch injury. Methods: In vivo experiments. Methods: Standardised lesions were surgically induced in all four lateral suspensory branches of 12 healthy Warmblood horses. Laser therapy (class 4, 15W) was applied dail...
Harrison S.While the importance of religious and magical healing practices in the Late Middle Ages is well established, the ritual aspects of veterinary medicine have so far not been thoroughly explored. This article addresses this lacuna through analysis of a corpus of charms, prayers, and other rituals that were used to cure a group of devastating contagious diseases that afflicted horses: animals that were often afforded complex, professional medical care in this period. It considers the semantic aspects and common features of this group of disease rituals alongside discussions of contagious illness i...
Gaesser AM, Underwood C, Linardi RL, Even KM, Reef VB, Shetye SS, Mauck RL, King WJ, Engiles JB, Ortved KF.Autologous protein solution (APS) has been used anecdotally for intralesional treatment of tendon and ligament injuries, however, its use in these injuries has never been studied . Our objective was to evaluate the effect of APS on tendon healing in an equine superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendonitis model. We hypothesized intralesional injection of APS would result in superior structural and biomechanical healing. SDF tendonitis was induced in both forelimbs of eight horses using collagenase injection. One forelimb was randomly assigned to receive an intralesional injection of APS, while th...
Weatherall KM, Boone LH, Caldwell FJ, Cole RC, Cattley RC, Lascola KM, Clark-Price SC, Farag R, Perkins E, Hanson RR.To compare the biomechanical properties and healing of ventral midline celiotomies (VMC) closed with a self-locking knot combination and forwarder start and Aberdeen end (F-A) vs a traditional knot combination and surgeon's start and end (S-S). Methods: In vivo, experimental. Methods: Twenty-one horses. Methods: Fourteen horses underwent VMC, which was closed with either an F-A (n = 7) or an S-S (n = 7) knot combination. Incisions were subjectively graded by masked evaluators for dehiscence, edema, and drainage. Biomechanical testing was performed on three abdominal segments, and histology was...
Wilmink JM, Ladefoged S, Jongbloets A, Vernooij JCM.The effect of dressings saturated with either a standardized suspension of probiotic bacteria or saline on healing of traumatic distal limb wounds in horses was evaluated for 24 days, and the systemic inflammatory effect was assessed. The wounds were divided in two groups based on the phase of healing: wounds with an incomplete (ICGB) or a complete granulation bed (CGB). The wound area was expressed as percentage of the wound area at day 0 and defined as relative wound area. The mean relative wound area decreased faster in probiotic than saline treated wounds. The difference was most obvious i...
Michanek P, Toth T, Bergstru00f6m E, Treffenberg-Pettersson H, Bergh A.Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are commonly used for treating a variety of disorders in horses, including wounds. Despite its claim to shorten healing times, there is a lack of scientific documentation regarding its effects. Objective: To investigate if treatment with pulsating visible red light (λ ≈ 637 nm) and near-infrared (NIR) light (λ ≈ 956 nm) affects wound healing. Methods: Randomised blinded controlled experimental study. Methods: A circular skin wound (Ø = 2 cm) was created on each side of the neck in eight healthy horses. One randomly chosen wound received light treatm...
Frisbie DD, Oxford JT, Southwood L, Trotter GW, Rodkey WG, Steadman JR, Goodnight JL, McIlwraith CW.The current study investigated healing of large full-thickness articular cartilage defects during the first 8 weeks with and without penetration of the subchondral bone using microfracture in an established equine model of cartilage healing. Chondral defects in the weightbearing portion of the medial femoral condyle were made bilaterally; one defect in each horse was microfractured whereas the contralateral leg served as the control. The expression of cartilage extracellular matrix components (Types I and II collagen and aggrecan) was evaluated using histologic techniques, reverse transcriptio...
Dakin SG, Dudhia J, Smith RK.Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in equine athletes, but the healing response is poorly understood. One important drive for the healing of connective tissues is the inflammatory cascade, but the role of inflammation in tendinopathy has been contentious in the literature. This article reviews the processes involved in the healing of tendon injuries in natural disease and experimental models. The importance of inflammatory processes known to be active in tendon disease is discussed with particular focus on recent findings ...
Williams IF, McCullagh KG, Silver IA.During tissue response to injury the glycoproteins fibronectin and Type III collagen are synthesized in increased amounts. We have studied the distribution of these molecules in the healing tendon at various times after injury by comparison with that of the major constituent of normal tendon, Type I collagen. Immunofluorescent localization demonstrated the presence of fibronectin throughout the tendon within one week after injury. Staining was found in the matrix, both around capillaries and around fibroblast-like cells. Fibronectin was still apparent in the healing tendon at one month after i...
Garbin LC, Olver CS.Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a biological preparation made from the patient's own plasma that contains a platelet concentration above the whole blood baseline. Owing to the release of growth factors and other cytokines after degranulation, platelets have a central role in inflammation and in different stages of the healing process. For this reason, PRP-derived products have been used to enhance healing of musculoskeletal injuries and modulate progression of inflammatory processes, including osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis is one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disabilitie...
Cadby JA, Buehler E, Godbout C, van Weeren PR, Snedeker JG.The role of intrinsic and extrinsic healing in injured tendons is still debated. In this study, we characterized cell plasticity, proliferative capacity, and migration characteristics as proxy measures of healing potential in cells derived from the peritenon (extrinsic healing) and compared these to cells from the tendon core (intrinsic healing). Both cell populations were extracted from horse superficial digital flexor tendon and characterized for tenogenic and matrix remodeling markers as well as for rates of migration and replication. Furthermore, colony-forming unit assays, multipotency as...
Bosch G, Lin YL, van Schie HT, van De Lest CH, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has recently been introduced as a new therapy for tendon injuries in horses, but little is known about the basic mechanism of action of this therapy. Objective: To study the effect of ESWT on biochemical parameters and tenocyte metabolism of normal tendinous structures in ponies. Methods: Six Shetland ponies, free of lameness and with ultrasonographically normal flexor and extensor tendons and suspensory ligaments (SL), were used. ESWT was applied at the origin of the suspensory ligament and the mid-metacarpal region of the superficial digital flexor ten...
Williams IF, McCullagh KG, Goodship AE, Silver IA.The histological and morphological characteristics of the scar tissue formed during healing after traumatic equine tendon injury have been compared with those of scar tissue produced in response to an enzyme-induced pony tendon injury. Several techniques are currently in use in the treatment of equine tendon sprain and this work formed part of a study of their respective efficacy. It was concluded that the enzyme-induced lesion is resolved by a reparative process very similar in its prognosis and extent to that following a naturally occurring tendon sprain. It may therefore justifiably be used...
Shrivastava SK, Kailash .Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in orthopedics and traumatology is still a young therapy method. Since the last few years the development of shock wave therapy has progressed rapidly. Shock waves have changed the treatment of urolithiasis substantially. Today shock waves are the first choice to treat kidney and urethral stones. Urology has long been the only medical field for shock waves in medicine. Meanwhile shock waves have been used in orthopedics and traumatology to treat insertion tendinitis, avascular necrosis of the head of femur and other necrotic bone alterations. Another field of ...
Ishihara A, Zekas LJ, Litsky AS, Weisbrode SE, Bertone AL.This study evaluated healing of equine metacarpal/metatarsal osteotomies in response to percutaneous injection of autologous dermal fibroblasts (DFbs) genetically engineered to secrete bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) or demonstrate green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene expression administered 14 days after surgery. Radiographic assessment of bone formation indicated greater and earlier healing of bone defects treated with DFb with BMP2 gene augmentation. Quantitative computed tomography and biomechanical testing revealed greater mineralized callus and torsional strength of DFb-BMP2-treated ...
Ishihara A, Zekas LJ, Weisbrode SE, Bertone AL.Cell-mediated and direct adenoviral (Ad) vector gene therapies can induce bone regeneration, including dermal fibroblasts (DFbs). We compared two effective therapies, DFb-mediated and direct Ad vector delivery of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2), for relative efficacy in bone regeneration. Equine rib drill defects were treated by percutaneous injection of either DFb-BMP2 or an Ad-BMP2 vector. At week 6, both DFb-BMP2- and Ad-BMP2-treated rib defects had greater bone filling volume and mineral density, with DFb-BMP2 inducing greater bone volume and maturity in the cortical bone aspect of the...
Celeste CJ, Deschene K, Riley CB, Theoret CL.Wound repair in horse limbs is often complicated by the development of exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) and excessive scarring while body wounds tend to repair uneventfully. EGT resembles the human keloid. While the events leading to keloid formation are not fully elucidated, tissue hypoxia has been proposed as a major contributing factor. The objective of this study was to investigate tissue oxygen saturation in healing full-thickness wounds created on the horse limb and body, using near-infrared spectroscopy. Spectroscopic reflectance data were collected from both anatomic sites at specifi...
Barry S.The ability of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to inhibit bone healing has been established in experimental animal models using mice, rats, and rabbits. The mechanism of action is largely unknown but stems from prostaglandin inhibition and is likely multifactorial. In human medicine NSAID are known to prevent heterotopic ossification, however the clinical importance of their effects on bone healing remains controversial. Although a small handful of reports suggest that NSAID suppress bone healing in dogs and horses, there is little published information to direct veterinary pract...
Fortier LA, Balkman CE, Sandell LJ, Ratcliffe A, Nixon AJ.This study evaluated the constitutive insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene expression pattern in spontaneously healing cartilage defects over the course of 16 weeks, and correlated the tissue morphology and matrix gene expression with IGF-I mRNA levels. Full-thickness 15 mm cartilage defects were debrided in the femoral trochlea of both femoropatellar joints of 8 horses and the healing defects examined 2, 4, 8, or 16 weeks after surgery. Samples were harvested for histologic assessment of tissue healing using H&E staining, toluidine blue histochemical reaction for proteoglycan deposit...
McClure SR, VanSickle D, Evans R, Reinertson EL, Moran L.Extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) may stimulate healing of desmitis in multiple species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic and histologic appearance of collagenase-induced suspensory ligament (SUL) desmitis in untreated ligaments and ligaments treated with ESWT in horses. Four mature horses had SUL desmitis induced in both forelimbs. Beginning 3 weeks after induction of the lesions, one ligament per horse was treated 3 times at 3-week intervals with ESWT. The percent lesion, echogenicity and fiber alignment scores of the SULs were evaluated at 3-week inter...
Caminoto EH, Alves AL, Amorim RL, Thomassian A, Hussni CA, Nicoletti JL.To evaluate the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on affected ligaments in the hind limbs of horses with experimentally induced suspensory ligament desmitis by use of ultrasonographic, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical techniques. Methods: 10 horses. Methods: Suspensory ligament desmitis was induced in both hind limbs of each horse by use of 2 collagenase injections (administered 2 weeks apart) in each suspensory ligament. Two weeks after the second injection, the right hind limb of each horse was treated with ESWT (3 treatments at 3-week intervals); the left hind limb ...
le Jeune S, Henneman K, May K.Acupuncture is one of the most common veterinary integrative medicine modalities. Acupuncture can greatly contribute to a rehabilitation protocol by promoting analgesia, tissue healing, and muscle strength. Acupuncture is safe, has minimal detrimental side effects, and is well tolerated by most horses.
Dahlgren LA, Mohammed HO, Nixon AJ.he treatment of overuse tendon injuries with exogenous growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) may facilitate an improved return to sustained athletic function. The biological effects of IGF-I are exerted under the control of a complex of IGF receptors, binding proteins, and proteases. This IGF system includes a family of six structurally related high-affinity IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) that protect IGF-I from local proteases and restrict access of IGF-I to its receptor. This study describes the expression of the IGFBPs in flexor tendon after acute injury and during heal...
Bischofberger AS, Dart CM, Perkins NR, Dart AJ.To determine the effect of manuka honey on second-intention healing of contaminated, full-thickness skin wounds in horses. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Adult Standardbred horses (n = 8). Methods: One wound was created on the dorsomedial aspect of the third metacarpus in both forelimbs, contaminated with feces, and bandaged for 24 hours. Bandages were removed and wounds rinsed with isotonic saline solution. Wounds on 1 limb had manuka honey applied daily (n = 8) whereas wounds on the contralateral limb received no treatment (n = 8). Bandages were replaced and changed daily for 12 days, after...
Morgan DD, McClure S, Yaeger MJ, Schumacher J, Evans RB.To evaluate the effects of focused, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on the healing of wounds of the distal portion of the limbs in horses. Methods: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: In each horse, a 4-cm-diameter full-thickness wound that included underlying periosteum was created on the dorsomedial aspect of each metacarpus and two 3-cm-diameter full-thickness wounds that included underlying periosteum were created on the dorsomedial aspect of each metatarsus. One randomly selected metacarpal wound and a randomly selected pair of metatarsal wounds...
Deschene K, Cu00e9leste C, Boerboom D, Theoret CL.As a transient hypoxic state exists within skin wounds in horses and may be important for the healing process, this study sought to identify a molecular hypoxia response occurring in horse limb and body wounds healing by second intention. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) protein expression was studied throughout repair by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Paradoxically, HIF1α was strongly expressed in intact skin and its expression decreased dramatically following wounding (p<0.01), despite the expected hypoxic state within the wounded tissue. HIF1α levels reincreased in paral...
Wilmink JM, Ladefoged S, Jongbloets A, Vernooij JCM.The effect of dressings saturated with either a standardized suspension of probiotic bacteria or saline on healing of traumatic distal limb wounds in horses was evaluated for 24 days, and the systemic inflammatory effect was assessed. The wounds were divided in two groups based on the phase of healing: wounds with an incomplete (ICGB) or a complete granulation bed (CGB). The wound area was expressed as percentage of the wound area at day 0 and defined as relative wound area. The mean relative wound area decreased faster in probiotic than saline treated wounds. The difference was most obvious i...
Tsang AS, Dart AJ, Sole-Guitart A, Dart CM, Perkins NR, Jeffcott LB.To compare the effect of application of manuka honey with unique manuka factor (UMF) 5 or 20 with a generic multifloral honey on equine wound healing variables. Methods: Two full-thickness skin wounds (2.5 × 2.5 cm) were created on the metatarsus of both hindlimbs of eight Standardbred horses. The wounds on each horse were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: UMF20 (UMF20) and UMF5 (UMF5) manuka honey; generic multifloral honey (GH); and a saline control. Bandages were changed daily for 12 days, after which treatment was stopped and the bandages were removed. Wound area was measured on day ...
Okamoto Y, Minami S, Matsuhashi A, Sashiwa H, Saimoto H, Shigemasa Y, Tanigawa T, Tanaka Y, Tokura S.The sponge-, cotton-, and flake-type remedies made of chitin (chitin-sponge, chitin-cotton, and chitin-flake, respectively), and non-woven fabric of polyester (NWF) composited with chitin (chitin-NWF) were applied to various types of trauma, abscess, surgical tissue defect and herniorrhaphy in 147 clinical cases including 72 dogs, 38 cows, 33 cats, 2 rabbits, one monkey and one horse. Chitin-sponge was applied in 30 cases as filling agent of surgical tissue defect, and in 25 cases of trauma, 31 cases of abscess as wound dressing or tissue defect filling agent. In 77 out of 86 cases (89.5%), go...
Hellings IR, Larsen S.Gastric ulceration is highly prevalent in horses, and there is a large commercial market for feed-additives and non-licenced products that claim effect for prevention and treatment of gastric ulceration. ImproWin® has been used as a feed additive in horses with anecdotal evidence that it may have some positive effects on gastric ulceration.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ImproWin® treatment on spontaneously occurring gastric ulcers of the squamous mucosa in Standardbred and Coldblooded trotting racehorses. The study was performed as a randomised, double-blinded, single...
Fretz PB, Li Z.Low energy helium-neon laser irradiation was administered to full thickness skin wounds (3 cm x 3 cm) on the dorsal surface of the metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal joints and cranial surface of the tarsocrural joints of eight horses. The effects on wound healing were analyzed statistically. There were no differences (p > 0.55) observed in the rate of wound healing between the low energy laser irradiated wounds and the control wounds. There was a significant difference (p < 0.006) observed in the rate of healing between the anatomical sites. Tarsal wounds healed more rapidly than f...
Jann HW, Hart JC, Stein LE, Ritchey J, Blaik M, Payton M, Fackelman GE, Rezabek GB, Mann BK.To assess the effects of a crosslinked, modified hyaluronic acid (xCMHA-S) gel on equine tendon healing using an in vivo surgical model. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Adult horses (n = 5). Methods: Full thickness bilateral forelimb window tenectomies were surgically created in both forelimb superficial digital flexor tendons and xCMHA-S gel was implanted intraoperatively into the right forelimb lesion of each horse whereas the left forelimb served as the untreated control. Healing was monitored by serial ultrasound examinations every 14 days over the course of the 84 day st...
Davidson EJ.Controlled exercise is a fundamental and critical component of any rehabilitation program for the equine athlete. The ideal controlled exercise program is designed to complement the normal tissue reparative process after injury. As a general rule, the program starts with complete rest followed by stall rest and short periods of walking. Over time, the intensity of the controlled exercise is gradually and systemically increased until complete healing has occurred. A well-designed, injury-directed, controlled exercise program enhances the healing process.
Carrozzo U, Toniato M, Harrison A.Therapeutic ultrasound is a noninvasive technique, which is well tolerated by horses, does not need sedation, and can easily be performed in a routine clinical setting. Twenty-three client-owned sport horses were recruited at Clinica Equina San Biagio and included in this case study. Treatment of the injured suspensory ligament apparatus was administered using an EQ Pro, low-frequency therapeutic unit (38 kHz). The noninvasive treatment consisted of massaging the injured area in combination with a traditional ultrasound gel while maintaining the head of the device in direct contact with the i...