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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Surg / Long-term outcome and effect of diagnostic analgesia in hors...
Veterinary surgery : VS2020; 49(3); 590-599; doi: 10.1111/vsu.13377

Long-term outcome and effect of diagnostic analgesia in horses undergoing interspinous ligament desmotomy for overriding dorsal spinous processes.

Abstract: To report the long-term outcome of horses treated with interspinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD) for pain associated with overriding dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP) and determine the influence of preoperative diagnostic analgesia on long-term outcome. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Eighteen horses. Methods: Data were collected from horses presenting for ISLD to the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center between January 2013 and May 2018. Follow-up of ≥3 months postsurgically was obtained from the owner, trainer, or referring veterinarian. Long-term improvement was compared between horses that improved with diagnostic analgesia presurgically and horses that did not undergo diagnostic analgesia presurgically by using a χ2 test. Univariate logistic regression was used to test associations between long-term improvement and independent variables. Results: Clinical signs had improved in 13 of 18 horses at long-term follow-up (median, 14.5 months; range, 3-57). Clinical signs improved in nine of 10 horses responding to diagnostic analgesia but only in four of eight horses that did not undergo diagnostic analgesia (χ2 [1], N = 18) = 3.55; P = .06). Although the likelihood of long-term improvement increased with prior diagnostic analgesia (odds ratio = 6.3; 95% confidence interval = 0.73, 55.0; P = .09), it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: A higher proportion of horses experienced long-term improvement in clinical signs after ISLD when horses responding to preoperative diagnostic analgesia were compared with horses that were not tested. Conclusions: This study provides some evidence to support the use of diagnostic analgesia in conjunction with clinical examination for identification of clinically relevant ORDSP.
© 2019 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
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Publication Date: 2020-01-09 PubMed ID: 31916622DOI: 10.1111/vsu.13377Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 focuses on assessing the long-term outcomes for horses undergoing a surgical procedure called interspinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD) for a condition known as overriding dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP). Furthermore, the study investigates the potential impact that preoperative diagnostic analgesia has on these outcomes.

Study Methodology

  • This is a retrospective study that examined data collected from 18 horses that presented for ISLD at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center between January 2013 and May 2018.
  • To ascertain long-term outcomes, the researchers followed up with the horses’ owners, trainers, or referring veterinarians at least three months after the surgery.
  • The researchers then compared the long-term improvement of horses that had diagnostic analgesia before the surgery with horses that didn’t. Similarities and differences between the two groups were analyzed using the χ test.
  • They also used univariate logistic regression to identify potential relationships between certain independent variables and long-term improvement.

Results and Findings

  • Results showed that 13 out of the 18 horses saw improvements in clinical signs at long-term follow-up. The period of follow-up varied from 3 to 57 months, with a median of 14.5 months.
  • Of the 10 horses that responded to diagnostic analgesia before surgery, 9 showed improvements. However, only 4 out of the 8 horses that didn’t have diagnostic analgesia saw improvements.
  • Although the data indicated that horses that underwent diagnostic analgesia before surgery were more likely to experience long-term improvement, the findings were not statistically significant (odds ratio = 6.3; 95% confidence interval = 0.73, 55.0; P = .09).

Conclusions

  • The study concluded that a higher proportion of horses responded positively in the long term to ISLD when they had previously responded to preoperative diagnostic analgesia, compared to horses that hadn’t responded to such analgesia.
  • These findings provide some evidence that preoperative diagnostic analgesia, when used in combination with a clinical examination, might be helpful in accurately identifying clinically relevant cases of ORDSP.

Cite This Article

APA
Brown KA, Davidson EJ, Ortved K, Ross MW, Stefanovski D, Wulster KB, Levine DG. (2020). Long-term outcome and effect of diagnostic analgesia in horses undergoing interspinous ligament desmotomy for overriding dorsal spinous processes. Vet Surg, 49(3), 590-599. https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13377

Publication

Veterinary surgery : VS
ISSN: 1532-950X
NlmUniqueID: 8113214
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 49
Issue: 3
Pages: 590-599

Researcher Affiliations

Brown, Kara A
  • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Davidson, Elizabeth J
  • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Ortved, Kyla
  • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Ross, Michael W
  • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Stefanovski, Darko
  • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Wulster, Kathryn B
    Levine, David G
    • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

    MeSH Terms

    • Analgesia / methods
    • Analgesia / veterinary
    • Animals
    • Female
    • Horse Diseases / surgery
    • Horses
    • Ligaments, Articular
    • Male
    • Pain / drug therapy
    • Pain / veterinary
    • Pain Management / veterinary
    • Retrospective Studies
    • Thoracic Vertebrae / pathology
    • Thoracic Vertebrae / surgery

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    Citations

    This article has been cited 5 times.
    1. Pilati N, Pressanto MC, Palumbo Piccionello A, De Angelis Corvi F, Beccati F. Impinging and Overriding Spinous Processes in Horses: A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 13;15(18).
      doi: 10.3390/ani15182679pubmed: 41007924google scholar: lookup
    2. Connaughton MT, MacDonald EJ, Ireland JL, Rocchigiani G, Stack JD. Experimental comparison of caudal wedge ostectomy to cranial wedge ostectomy for surgical treatment of overriding/impinging spinous processes in horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Sep;57(5):1395-1404.
      doi: 10.1111/evj.14498pubmed: 40110991google scholar: lookup
    3. Baudisch N, Singer E, Jensen KC, Eichler F, Meyer HJ, Lischer C, Ehrle A. Influence of surgical intervention at the level of the dorsal spinous processes on the biomechanics of the equine thoracolumbar spine. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):492-501.
      doi: 10.1111/evj.14123pubmed: 38934728google scholar: lookup
    4. Biedrzycki AH, Elane GL. Three-Dimensional Modeling and In Silico Kinematic Evaluation of Interspinous Ligament Desmotomy in Horses. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022;10:817300.
      doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.817300pubmed: 35433641google scholar: lookup
    5. Argüelles D, Becero M, Muñoz A, Saitua A, Ramón T, Gascón E, Sánchez de Medina A, Prades M. Accelerometric Changes before and after Capacitive Resistive Electric Transfer Therapy in Horses with Thoracolumbar Pain Compared to a SHAM Procedure. Animals (Basel) 2020 Dec 5;10(12).
      doi: 10.3390/ani10122305pubmed: 33291357google scholar: lookup
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