Laser therapy in the horse: histopathologic response.

The article investigates the effect of low intensity laser therapy on the healing process of surgical cuts made in horses’ skin and tendons, and concludes that such therapy does not seem to significantly impact the healing process.

Study Design & Methodology

• The research involved creating surgical incisions in the skin and the superficial digital flexor tendons of horses. This was done to establish a baseline for comparing the impact of laser therapy on healing.
• A low-intensity laser therapy device was then applied to the surgical wounds as a treatment method.

Comparison & Analysis

• After completion of the laser therapy treatment, the researchers took samples from various areas: skin and tendon tissue from incisions treated with the laser, incisions without laser treatment, and non-incised control tissues.
• The objective here was to compare and analyze any differences or changes in tissue structure or healing patterns due to the laser treatment. Analysis was performed through microscopic study of the tissue samples.

Findings of the Study

• The microscopic study did not manifest any qualitative differences between laser-treated and non-treated tissues. In other words, the laser therapy did not appear to influence the healing process of the incised skin and tendons significantly.

Conclusion and Implications

• Based on these findings, the authors concluded that the particular low-intensity laser therapy device used in this study may not be potent enough to affect wound healing in horses.
• This raises questions regarding the effectiveness of such laser treatments in veterinary medicine, and suggests the need for further research. More powerful laser devices, different treatment protocols, or alternative healing strategies could be tested in future studies to ascertain the most effective approach for wound healing in large animals such as horses.