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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surfa...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(2); doi: 10.3390/ani13020216

Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Vein Diameter in Healthy Racehorses with Clipped and Non-Clipped Coat.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) on skin surface temperature and vein diameter in the carpal joint region in racehorses with clipped and non-clipped treatment areas. The study included 20 Thoroughbreds split into two equal groups: clipped coat and non-clipped coat. Horses underwent thermographic examination to detect changes in skin surface temperature at the medial surface of the carpal joint, followed by ultrasonographic examination to assess changes in the diameter of the medial palmar vein before and after HILT. The increase in skin surface temperature after HILT was significantly lower in the group with clipped coat than in the non-clipped group. The group with clipped coat showed a greater increase in vessel diameter. There was a significantly weak negative correlation between the changes in average skin surface temperature and vein diameter in both groups. In conclusion, an efficient photothermal effect can be achieved in skin with a non-clipped coat and clipping the treatment area increases photobiostimulation of the tissue, while reducing the photothermal effect. Further research is needed to specify the parameters for the treatment of skin with clipped and non-clipped coat in order to perform effective laser therapy.
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Publication Date: 2023-01-06 PubMed ID: 36670756PubMed Central: PMC9854543DOI: 10.3390/ani13020216Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This research article investigates the contrasting impacts of High-Intensity Laser Therapy, also known as HILT, on skin temperature and vein diameter of racehorses that are divided into two groups – one with a non-clipped coat and the other with a clipped coat. The study suggested that a horse with a unclipped coat demonstrated a more efficient photothermal effect following HILT while those with clipped coats saw increased photobiostimulation but reduced photothermal effect.

Research Methodology

  • The study involved 20 Thoroughbred racehorses which were evenly divided into two groups of ten; one consisted of horses with clipped coats while the other group was made up of horses with non-clipped coats.
  • The horses underwent a thermographic examination, a process by which temperature changes at the skin’s surface on the medial side of the horse’s carpal joint were detected. This test was conducted before and after the horses were subjected to HILT.
  • Simultaneously, ultrasonographic examination was carried out to assess changes in diameter of the medial palmar vein before and after the laser therapy.

Key Findings

  • Findings indicated that the increase in skin surface temperature following HILT was considerably lower in the group of horses that had their coats clipped when compared to the group with unclipped coats.
  • On the other hand, the group of horses with clipped coats displayed a larger increase in the diameter of the vein.
  • There was a noted but weak negative correlation between changes in average skin surface temperature and changes in vein diameter in both groups.

Conclusion and Further Research

  • The conclusion drawn from the study was a definitive finding that applying HILT to horses with a non-clipped coat yields a more efficient photothermal effect, while horses with a clipped coat show increased photobiostimulation but a reduced photothermal effect.
  • Despite the results, the researchers concluded that further studies are needed to specify the exact parameters required for the efficient use of laser therapy on horses depending on whether their coats are clipped or not. This indicates that the optimal mode of treatment could potentially vary based on the state of the horse’s coat.

Cite This Article

APA
Zielińska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Śniegucka K, Dudek K, Čebulj-Kadunc N. (2023). Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Vein Diameter in Healthy Racehorses with Clipped and Non-Clipped Coat. Animals (Basel), 13(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020216

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 2

Researcher Affiliations

Zielińska, Paulina
  • Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Plac Grunwaldzki 51, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland.
Soroko-Dubrovina, Maria
  • Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chelmonskiego 38C, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.
Śniegucka, Karolina
  • Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chelmonskiego 38C, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.
Dudek, Krzysztof
  • Center for Statistical Analysis, Wroclaw Medical University, Marcinkowskiego 2-6, 50-368 Wrocław, Poland.
Čebulj-Kadunc, Nina
  • Institute of Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Čebulj-Kadunc N, Frangež R, Kruljc P. Long-Term Changes of Physiological Reactions in Young Lipizzan Stallions During Exercise Testing. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 23;15(17).
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  2. Nawrot K, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Zielińska P, Dudek K, Howell K. The Application of Infrared Thermography in the Assessment of BEMER Physical Vascular Therapy on Body Surface Temperature in Racing Thoroughbreds: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel) 2024 May 23;14(11).
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  3. Zielińska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Dudek K, Ruzhanova-Gospodinova IS. A Preliminary Study of the Influence of High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Tone Changes in Thoroughbred Racehorses with Back Pain. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 22;13(5).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13050794pubmed: 36899651google scholar: lookup
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