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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Mechanical nociceptive assessment of the equine hoof after n...
PloS one2022; 17(6); e0269532; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269532

Mechanical nociceptive assessment of the equine hoof after navicular bursa anesthetic infiltration validated by bursography.

Abstract: The analgesic specificity of navicular bursa (NB) anesthetic infiltration is still questionable. The study aimed to determine the mechanical nociceptive threshold of non-specific analgesia in the dorsal lamellar stratum, as well as in the sole, coronary band, and heel bulbs of the hoof, after navicular bursa anesthetic infiltration. Six healthy horses with no clinical or radiographic changes of the digits and no communication between the NB and the distal interphalangeal joint, were used. After random selection, the NB of one of the forelimbs was infiltrated with 2% lidocaine and the contralateral one with lactated ringer's solution. Contrast was added to confirm radiographic infiltration. The mechanical nociceptive threshold was determined using a portable pressure dynamometer, before and at various times after the infiltration, in 10 points of the hoof. The effects of time and treatment were verified by ANOVA (P0.05) in all regions evaluated. However, in one of the six hooves that receives lidocaine, complete absence of response to the painful stimulus (maximum force of 6 Kg over an area of 38.46 mm2, for a maximum of 4 seconds) was observed in the dorsal lamellae between 30 and 60 min after infiltration. In conclusion, lidocaine infiltration of NB did not promote significant increases in the nociceptive threshold of the sole, coronary band, bulbs of the heel and dorsal lamellae clinically healthy horses. However, the occurrence of analgesia in one of the six hooves subjected to NB anesthesia indicates that the technique may not be fully specific in few horses.
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Publication Date: 2022-06-07 PubMed ID: 35671268PubMed Central: PMC9173607DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269532Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

The research article investigates how applying anesthetic to an area of the horse’s hoof known as the ‘navicular bursa’ affects the horse’s sensitivity to pain in various regions of the hoof. The results suggest that the procedure may not specifically target the pain, as only one of six horses showed total absence of pain response after application.

Objective of the Study

  • The goal of this study was to evaluate the specific effect of anesthetic injected into the navicular bursa (NB) of a horse’s hoof. The authors aimed to determine whether this procedure specifically reduces pain or has a broader, non-specific effect across various regions of the hoof.

Methodology

  • The research used six healthy horses with no prior conditions or deformities in their hooves.
  • In each horse, one of the forelimbs’ NB was injected with 2% lidocaine (an anesthetic), while the other forelimb was injected with a lactated ringer’s solution as a control.
  • A contrast agent was included in the injections to allow the researchers to verify the infiltration via radiography.
  • The horse’s sensitivity to pain, or ‘mechanical nociceptive threshold’, was measured before and at different points in time after the injections. This was performed across 10 different points on the horse’s hoof using a specialized device called a portable pressure dynamometer.

Results of the Study

  • Across the different regions of the hoof that were evaluated, the data showed no notable differences in pain sensitivity before and after the lidocaine injection in most subjects.
  • However, in one of the six horses, an absence of response to pain was observed in a specific region of the hoof (the dorsal lamellae) between 30 to 60 minutes after the injection.

Conclusion

  • The study concluded that lidocaine injections into the NB did not result in a significant reduction in pain sensitivity across the hoof in healthy horses.
  • Despite this, the fact that one horse did demonstrate a reduction in pain sensitivity suggests that this technique might not be fully specific in all horses.

The results of this study contribute to our understanding of equine anesthesia and pain management, indicating that different horses may respond differently to the same anesthetic procedure. Therefore, more research is needed to optimize pain management procedures for horses in veterinary practice.

Cite This Article

APA
Cota LO, Malacarne BD, Dias LA, Neto ACP, Kneipp MLA, Cavalcante MA, Cunha MSLD, Paz CFR, Carvalho AM, Faleiros RR, Xavier ABDS. (2022). Mechanical nociceptive assessment of the equine hoof after navicular bursa anesthetic infiltration validated by bursography. PLoS One, 17(6), e0269532. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269532

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 6
Pages: e0269532
PII: e0269532

Researcher Affiliations

Cota, Letícia de Oliveira
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Malacarne, Bruno Dondoni
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Dias, Lucas Antunes
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Neto, Antônio Catunda Pinho
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Kneipp, Maria Luiza Arruda
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Cavalcante, Marina Alcântara
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Cunha, Marina de Souza Luz da
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Paz, Cahuê Francisco Rosa
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Carvalho, Armando de Mattos
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Faleiros, Rafael Resende
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
  • National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
Xavier, Andressa Batista da Silveira
  • Department Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, EQUINOVA Research Group, Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

MeSH Terms

  • Anesthetics, Local
  • Animals
  • Bursa, Synovial
  • Forelimb
  • Hoof and Claw / diagnostic imaging
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horses
  • Lidocaine / pharmacology
  • Lidocaine / therapeutic use
  • Nociception
  • Pain / drug therapy

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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