Efficacy of an epidural combination of morphine and detomidine in alleviating experimentally induced hindlimb lameness in horses.
Abstract: Amphotericin B-induced synovitis of the left tarsocrural joint was used to create a grade 3 of 4 lameness in 11 horses. Caudal epidural catheters were placed and advanced to the lumbosacral region. Baseline heart and respiratory rates were recorded and horses were videotaped at a walk and trot. Morphine sulphate (0.2 mg/kg) and detomidine hydrochloride (30 micrograms/kg) were administered to treated horses (n = 8) through the epidural catheter; an equivalent volume of physiologic saline solution was administered to control horses (n = 3) through the catheter. At hourly intervals after epidural injection for a total of 6 hours, heart and respiratory rates were recorded, and horses were videotaped walking and trotting. At the end of the observation period, video recordings were scrambled onto a master videotape. Lamenesses were scored by three investigators unaware of group assignment or treatment time. Lameness scores, heart rates, and respiratory rates were compared between groups using repeated measures analysis of variance. There was a significant decrease in lameness score after treatment with epidural morphine and detomidine (P = .0003); average lameness scores of treated horses were less than grade 1 at each hourly observation for 6 hours after drug administration. Early in the observation period, heart rates significantly increased in control horses and decreased in treated horses (P = .03). A similar trend occurred for respiratory rates (P = .07). Results of this study demonstrate that epidural administration of a combination of morphine and detomidine is capable of providing profound hindlimb analgesia in horses.
Publication Date: 1996-11-01 PubMed ID: 8923731DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.1996.tb01452.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study explores the effectiveness of the combined epidural administration of morphine and detomidine in reducing severe hindlimb lameness in horses. The research concluded that this combination has the potential to provide significant pain relief in the hind limbs of horses.
Experimental Procedure
- The study utilized grade 3 out of 4 lameness in horses – produced by inducing synovitis in the left tarsocrural joint of 11 horses with Amphotericin B – to evaluate the pain relief capacity of morphine and detomidine.
- For the experimental procedure, caudal epidural catheters were inserted and pushed forward to the lumbosacral region.
- Baseline heart and respiratory rates were documented, and the horses were filmed while walking and trotting.
- Morphine sulphate (0.2 mg/kg) and detomidine hydrochloride (30 micrograms/kg) were injected through the epidural catheter into the treated horses (n = 8); physiological saline solution of equivalent volume was administered to the control horses (n = 3).
Observation and Analysis
- Post the epidural injection, heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded at hourly intervals for the total observation period of 6 hours. The horses’ movements were also filmed.
- Videos were randomly mixed and the lameness in horses was scored by three investigators who were not informed of the group assignment or treatment duration.
- The researchers made a comparison of lameness scores, heart rates, and respiratory rates between the treated and controlled groups using repeated measures analysis of variance.
Results
- The research observed a significant decrease in lameness score after the treatment with epidural morphine and detomidine.
- On average, lameness scores of treated horses were less than grade 1 at each hourly observation for 6 hours after drug administration.
- Early observations showed a considerable increase in heart rates in control horses and a decrease in treated horses.
- A similar pattern was found for respiratory rates as well.
Interpretation
- The findings of this study show that the epidural administration of a mixture of morphine and detomidine is efficacious in providing profound pain relief in the hindlimbs of horses.
- This could potentially be a pivotal finding for the veterinary community in finding more effective ways to treat lameness in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Sysel AM, Pleasant RS, Jacobson JD, Moll HD, Modransky PD, Warnick LD, Sponenberg DP, Eyre P.
(1996).
Efficacy of an epidural combination of morphine and detomidine in alleviating experimentally induced hindlimb lameness in horses.
Vet Surg, 25(6), 511-518.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-950x.1996.tb01452.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / administration & dosage
- Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / therapeutic use
- Amphotericin B / adverse effects
- Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage
- Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / adverse effects
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Female
- Heart Rate / drug effects
- Heart Rate / physiology
- Hindlimb / physiopathology
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses / physiology
- Imidazoles / administration & dosage
- Imidazoles / therapeutic use
- Injections, Epidural / veterinary
- Lameness, Animal / chemically induced
- Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
- Lameness, Animal / physiopathology
- Male
- Morphine / administration & dosage
- Morphine / therapeutic use
- Respiration / drug effects
- Respiration / physiology
- Synovitis / chemically induced
- Synovitis / complications
- Synovitis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Marzok M, Almubarak AI, Babiker H, Kandeel M, El-Hawari SF, El-Khodery S. Comparative evaluation of sedative and anti-nociceptive effects of epidural romifidine, romifidine-lidocaine, and lidocaine in donkeys (Equus asinus).. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:966715.
- Douglas H, Midon M, Shroff K, Floriano D, Driessen B, Hopster K. Caudal epidural catheterization for pain management in 48 hospitalized horses: A descriptive study of demographics, complications, and outcomes.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:995299.
- Watkins AR, Hopster K, Levine D, Hurcombe SD. Cervical Epidural Spinal Analgesia for Acute Management of Severe Unilateral Forelimb Lameness: Case Report.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:749713.
- Freitas GC, Carregaro AB, Gehrcke MI, De La Côrte FD, Lara VM, Pozzobon R, Brass KE. Epidural analgesia with morphine or buprenorphine in ponies with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced carpal synovitis.. Can J Vet Res 2011 Apr;75(2):141-6.
- Fierheller EE, Caulkett NA, Bailey JV. A romifidine and morphine combination for epidural analgesia of the flank in cattle.. Can Vet J 2004 Nov;45(11):917-23.
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