Effect of focused and radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on equine bone microdamage.
Abstract: To determine whether bone microcracks are altered after application of focused and radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) to the equine distal limb. Methods: An ex vivo experimental model. Methods: A contralateral limb specimen was obtained from 11 Thoroughbred racehorses with a unilateral catastrophic injury. Distal limb specimens were also obtained from 5 non-racing horses. Methods: Three separate skin-covered bone segments were obtained from the mid-diaphysis of the metacarpus (MC3) or metatarsus (MT3). Focused (9,000 shockwaves, 0.15 mJ/mm2, 4 Hz) and radial (9,000 shockwaves, 0.175 mJ/mm2, 4 Hz) ESWT treatments were randomized to the proximal and distal segments and the middle segment was used as a treatment control for pre-existing microcracks. After treatment, bone specimens were bulk-stained with basic fuchsin and microcracks were quantified in transverse calcified bone sections. Results: ESWT had small but significant effects on microcracks. Microcrack density (Cr.Dn) and microcrack surface density (Cr.S.Dn) were increased after focused ESWT, whereas Cr.Le was increased after radial ESWT. In racing Thoroughbreds, Cr.Le increased with increased number of races undertaken. Cr.Dn and Cr.S.Dn were not significantly influenced by the number of races undertaken. Conclusions: ESWT has small but significant effects on bone microcracking ex vivo. Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that ESWT has the potential to increase bone microcracking in equine distal limb bone in vivo. Such effects may be more pronounced in Thoroughbreds that are actively being raced, because in vivo microcracking increases with increased number of races undertaken.
Publication Date: 2003-12-23 PubMed ID: 14687186DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2004.040005.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study investigates the impact of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on the micro-structuring of horse bones, discovering the potential for increased microcracking in the distal limbs of active racing horses.
Methods and Sample
- The study utilized an ex vivo experimental model employing limb specimens derived from 11 Thoroughbred racehorses that had experienced a unilateral catastrophic injury. These limb samples were compared with specimens taken from 5 non-racehorses.
- Three individual skin-covered bone segments were extracted from either the mid-diaphysis of the metacarpus (MC3) or metatarsus (MT3) for each horse. These different sections allowed for the testing of both types of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (focused and radial) while still retaining a control segment for comparative purposes.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
- Both therapies involved applying 9,000 shockwaves at a frequency of 4Hz, with the focused ESWT providing an energy density of 0.15 mJ/mm2 and the radial ESWT offering a slightly higher density of 0.175 mJ/mm2.
- Once the therapy was complete, the specimens were stained with basic fuchsin to allow for the observation and quantification of any microcracks that had formed within the bone’s structure.
Results
- The research showed this experimental therapy had a minor but significant effect on the formation of microcracks within the bone’s structure.
- Both the density of microcracks (Cr.Dn) and the surface density (Cr.S.Dn) were increased following the focused ESWT, while the length of the cracks (Cr.Le) was increased after the radial ESWT.
- Further analysis revealed a correlation between the number of races a Thoroughbred had undertaken and the length of its microcracks with increased racing causing more pronounced cracks. However, the number of races did not impact the Cr.Dn or Cr.S.Dn.
Conclusions
- The ESWT method was found to cause increases in microcracking within the equine distal limb bone.
- The data suggests that a more notable effect might be noticeable in active racing Thoroughbreds due to observable increase in microcracking associated with the frequency of races undertaken.
Cite This Article
APA
Da Costa Gómez TM, Radtke CL, Kalscheur VL, Swain CA, Scollay MC, Edwards RB, Santschi EM, Markel MD, Muir P.
(2003).
Effect of focused and radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on equine bone microdamage.
Vet Surg, 33(1), 49-55.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-950x.2004.040005.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Forelimb / injuries
- Fracture Healing / radiation effects
- Fractures, Bone / pathology
- Fractures, Bone / therapy
- Fractures, Bone / veterinary
- High-Energy Shock Waves / therapeutic use
- Hindlimb / injuries
- Horses / injuries
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
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