Neovascularisation in chronic tendon injuries detected with colour Doppler ultrasound in horse and man: implications for research and treatment.
Abstract: Recent research on chronic painful Achilles tendons in humans using ultrasonography and immunohistochemistry, has demonstrated an association between neurovascular ingrowth and tendon pain. In horses, chronic debilitating tendon conditions are well-known to be very difficult to treat, and the background to impaired function and pain is not scientifically clarified. In a collaborative research project between the Sports Medicine Unit in Umeå and Strömsholm Equine Hospital, grey-scale ultrasonography (US) and colour Doppler (CD) examination were performed in ten horses with chronic tendon injuries (>3 months) and a control group of six healthy and asymptomatic horses. In all symptomatic tendons, but not in any of the tendons in the control group, neovessels were seen in the area with structural tendon changes. The neovessels found in the horse tendons looked similar to what has recently been presented in human Achilles tendons. These findings motivate evaluation of the same treatment, a sclerosing injection that was demonstrated recently to give promising results in the treatment of chronic Achilles tendon injuries (tendinosis) in humans.
Publication Date: 2005-04-27 PubMed ID: 15864547DOI: 10.1007/s00167-005-0648-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research study examined the link between the growth of new blood vessels (neovascularisation) and chronic tendon pain in both horses and humans, using ultrasonography and colour Doppler tests. The results showed the presence of these new vessels in injured tendons, paving the way for the potential application of a treatment already used in humans with similar conditions.
Overview of the Research
- This research focuses on chronic painful Achilles tendons in humans and chronic tendon injuries in horses. The chosen method of investigation was ultrasonography and colour Doppler tests, tools that allow for a precise understanding of the tendon structure and vascularisation.
- The research was a collaborative project between the Sports Medicine Unit in Umeå and Strömsholm Equine Hospital. A sample size of ten horses with chronic tendon injuries and six healthy horses were selected for the study.
Key Findings
- The study located new blood vessels (neovessels) within the area of structural tendon changes in all the symptomatic tendons of injured horses. However, they did not observe the same neovascularisation in the tendons of the healthy control group horses.
- The researchers noted that the appearance of these new blood vessels in horses mirrored those seen in recent research on human Achilles tendons. This led to the conclusion that the physiological response to chronic tendon injury might be similar in both humans and horses.
Implications and Future Scope
- The findings of this study point towards the possible application of a sclerosing injection as a potential treatment for chronic tendon injuries. This treatment has recently shown promising results in managing chronic Achilles tendon injuries in humans, so it might be beneficial in treating similar conditions in horses as well.
- This discovery could be instrumental in improving the treatment of debilitating tendon conditions in horses, which are often challenging to handle and lack a clear scientific understanding of their root cause and pain generation.
- Further research is recommended for the evaluation of this treatment option in horses with chronic tendon injuries.
Cite This Article
APA
Kristoffersen M, Ohberg L, Johnston C, Alfredson H.
(2005).
Neovascularisation in chronic tendon injuries detected with colour Doppler ultrasound in horse and man: implications for research and treatment.
Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc, 13(6), 505-508.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-005-0648-3 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Strömsholm Equine Hospital, Djursjukhusvägen 11, 73040 Kolbäck, Sweden. mads.kristoffersen@hastsjukhusetstromsholm.se
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Chronic Disease
- Horses
- Humans
- Neovascularization, Pathologic / diagnostic imaging
- Tendon Injuries / diagnostic imaging
- Tendons / blood supply
- Tendons / diagnostic imaging
- Ultrasonography / methods
References
This article includes 18 references
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Citations
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