Digital perfusion, evaluated scintigraphically, and hoof wall growth in horses with chronic laminitis treated with egg bar-heart bar shoeing and coronary grooving.

The research assesses the effect of two treatment methods on digital blood flow and hoof growth in horses suffering from chronic laminitis. The methods involved a footwear adjustment called egg bar-heart bar shoeing alone or in combination with a procedure called coronary grooving.

Understanding the Problem: Chronic Laminitis in Horses

• Laminitis is a severe and often chronic condition in horses, characterized by inflammation of the tissues connecting the hoof to the foot’s bone structure. Chronic laminitis often results in rotation of the distal phalanx (the bone within the hoof) and disrupted hoof growth.
• This study addresses the need for effective treatment strategies to manage laminitis and its long-term effects on a horse’s hoof health and overall mobility.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

• The research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two treatment methods — egg bar-heart bar shoeing alone, and in combination with coronary grooving— on the blood perfusion in the hoof (specifically the dorsal lamina region and the solar region) and the hoof growth rate in horses suffering from chronic laminitis.
• The researchers used a method called nuclear scintigraphy, which uses radioactive substances to visualize and measure bodily processes, to track changes in blood flow within the horses’ feet.
• Equally, 10 horses diagnosed with clinical and radiographic evidence of chronic laminitis were subdivided into two groups and subjected to the two different treatment methods. Over an 18 week period, the horses were repeatedly assessed concerning their hoof blood flow, lameness, the degree of bone rotation, and hoof wall growth.

Main Findings of the Study

• It was observed that the egg bar-heart bar shoeing method managed to significantly increase blood flow to the dorsal laminar region and decrease blood flow to the solar area of the hoof. This suggests better blood distribution and potential health improvements within the hoof structure.
• When coronary grooving was added to the egg bar-heart bar shoeing, there was a significant decrease in hoof growth ratio between the toe and the heel, indicating a change in hoof growth patterns. However, this method did not significantly enhance digital perfusion or blood flow to the foot.
• Overall, 70% of horses showed positive responses to the treatment, indicating an improvement in lameness. It was also found that pre-treatment scanning could predict which horses would respond positively to the treatment, based on their individual blood flow patterns in the foot.

Conclusions of the Study

• The research results confirm the effectiveness of the egg bar-heart bar shoeing method in improving dorsal laminar perfusion in horses with chronic laminitis.
• The study also shows that the combined use of coronary grooving with egg bar-heart bar shoeing can influence hoof growth patterns, although it does not further enhance digital perfusion.
• Interestingly, pre-treatment nuclear scintigraphy emerged as a potentially valuable diagnostic tool to predict how beneficial corrective shoeing will be for individual horses suffering from chronic laminitis.