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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Clinically relevant doses of tiludronate do not affect bone ...
Equine veterinary journal2024; 57(2); 513-521; doi: 10.1111/evj.14119

Clinically relevant doses of tiludronate do not affect bone remodelling in pasture-exercised horses.

Abstract: Bisphosphonates are widely used in equine athletes to reduce lameness associated with skeletal disorders. Widespread off-label use has led to concern regarding potential negative effects on bone healing, but little evidence exists to support or refute this. Objective: To investigate the influence of clinically relevant doses of tiludronate on bone remodelling and bone healing. Methods: Randomised, controlled in vivo experiments. Methods: Each horse had a single tuber coxae biopsied (Day 0), then were divided into a treatment (IV tiludronate) or control (IV saline) group. Treatments were administered 30 and 90 days following initial biopsy. Biopsy of the tuber coxae was repeated on Day 60 to evaluate bone healing following a single treatment. Oxytetracycline was administered on Days 137 and 147 to label bone formation. The contralateral tuber coxae was biopsied on Day 150 to evaluate effects of repeated treatment. Bone biopsies were evaluated with micro-computed tomography and/or dynamic histomorphometry using standard techniques. Results: Nineteen horses completed the study, with no complications following the biopsies and treatments. No significant differences in the trabecular bone parameters or bone formation rate were observed between treatment groups. Conclusions: The use of a first-generation bisphosphonate may mean some effects of these drugs are underrepresented using this model. The results pertain to the tuber coxae and may not reflect injury or the healing response that occurs in long bones in training or racing. Conclusions: In this model, tiludronate did not affect normal bone remodelling in the horse, despite repeat dosages.
© 2024 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2024-06-25 PubMed ID: 38924597PubMed Central: PMC11807941DOI: 10.1111/evj.14119Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Veterinary

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research paper explores how clinically relevant doses of bisphosphonate named tiludronate, a drug often used off-label in equine sports to alleviate skeletal disorders, do not negatively impact bone repair or remodelling in horse.

Methodology

  • The research involved randomized, controlled in vivo experiments on horses. The horses were initially each made to undergo a single tuber coxae biopsy, after which they were divided in two groups: one for the treatment where tiludronate was intravenously administered, and second as a control group where saline was intravenously given.
  • Treatments were given 30 and 90 days after the first biopsy to both groups. On the 60th day, a repeated biopsy was performed to assess the bone healing due to a single treatment.
  • The drug oxytetracycline was administered to the horses on the 137th and 147th day to trace bone formation. A biopsy of the opposite side of the tuber coxae was done on the 150th day to study the outcomes of multiple treatments.
  • Bone biopsies were evaluated using standard techniques such as micro-computed tomography and dynamic histomorphometry.

Results

  • All of the 19 chosen horses completed the study without any complications from the biopsies and treatments. There were no significant differences observed in the trabecular bone parameters or bone formation rate between the treatment groups.

Conclusions

  • The findings of this study suggest that under this experimental model, the repeated use of the bisphosphonate, tiludronate, did not affect the normal bone remodelling processes in horses.
  • However, the researchers pointed out that the results only pertain to the tuber coxae and might not accurately reflect injury healing or response that happens in long bones due to training or racing.
  • Another limitation mentioned in the study is that use of first-generation bisphosphonate could have underrepresented the effects of the more recent or potent drugs of this kind.

Cite This Article

APA
Tippen SP, Metzger CE, Sacks SA, Allen MR, Mitchell CF, McNulty MA. (2024). Clinically relevant doses of tiludronate do not affect bone remodelling in pasture-exercised horses. Equine Vet J, 57(2), 513-521. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14119

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 57
Issue: 2
Pages: 513-521

Researcher Affiliations

Tippen, Samantha P
  • Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
  • Department of Education, Innovation, & Technology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Metzger, Corinne E
  • Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Sacks, Spencer A
  • Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Allen, Matthew R
  • Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Mitchell, Colin F
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
McNulty, Margaret A
  • Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
  • Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses / physiology
  • Bone Remodeling / drug effects
  • Diphosphonates / pharmacology
  • Diphosphonates / administration & dosage
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / pharmacology
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / administration & dosage
  • Male
  • Female
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug

Grant Funding

  • D19EQ-040 / Morris Animal Foundation

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared no conflicting interests.

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