Performance comparison of 159 Thoroughbred racehorses and matched cohorts before and after desmotomy of the interspinous ligament.

This research article investigates the impact of desmotomy of the interspinous ligament on the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses suffering from impinging dorsal spinous processes (DSPs), a condition known to cause poor performance.

Objective and Methodology

• This study aims to objectively assess the long-term outcome of racehorses that have undergone desmotomy of the interspinous ligament (DISL), a surgical procedure conducted as a remedy for poor performance resulting from impinging DSPs. The study relies on pre-operative and post-operative racing records to gauge the procedure’s effectiveness.
• The researchers reviewed medical records of all horses that had the desmotomy procedure at their referral equine hospital between February 2015 and September 2016. They narrowed down to Thoroughbred racehorses with comprehensive historical information and track data that allowed comparison of their performance with a matched control group.
• The criterion for control group selection was horses of an identical age, sex, and racing type as the ones who had the surgery. Both the control group and the affected horses had to have been trained at the same time by the same trainer.
• A follow-up period of at least 12 months was maintained to make accurate comparisons.

Findings and Conclusions

• Out of the 6545 horses that had been presented for poor performance or lameness during the study period, 236 (3.6%) underwent desmotomy of the interspinous ligament. Following the selection criteria, 159 of these horses were used as the cases for this study.
• The data demonstrated that the horses who went through the surgery showed significantly improved racing performance compared to the control group. The results suggest that DISL between impinging DSPs can enhance racehorses’ performance suffering from reduced performance due to the pain caused by impinging DSPs.
• However, it’s worth noting that there were some side effects post-surgery. Eight horses developed unilateral neurogenic atrophy of the epaxial musculature, which means they lost muscle mass due to nerve damage.

In conclusion, the authors found that desmotomy can improve performance in racehorses suffering from impinging DSPs. However, further research might be needed to investigate potential post-surgical complications.