FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses with suspensor...
Equine veterinary journal2023; doi: 10.1111/evj.13980

Racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses with suspensory ligament branch desmitis treated with mesenchymal stem cells (2010-2019).

Abstract: Suspensory ligament branch desmitis (SLBD) is a common injury in Thoroughbred racehorses. Orthobiologic treatment of these injuries is a relatively new approach, and there is limited information available on post injury racing performance in racehorses treated with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). To assess racing performance post injury in Thoroughbred racehorses with SLBD treated with MSCs.
© 2023 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2023-08-03 PubMed ID: 37534804DOI: 10.1111/evj.13980Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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.

Background:

  • Suspensory Ligament Branch Desmitis (SLBD): This is an injury common in Thoroughbred racehorses.
  • Orthobiologic Treatment: This refers to treatments that use natural substances from the body, like stem cells, to heal injuries.
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): These are a type of stem cell that can develop into a variety of cell types. They’re being used as a treatment for SLBD, but there’s limited data on how horses perform in races after such treatments.

Objectives:

The study aims to find out how Thoroughbred racehorses with SLBD, treated with MSCs, perform in races post-treatment.

Study Design:

This is a retrospective case series, meaning the researchers looked back at existing medical records instead of setting up a new experiment or trial.

Methods:

  • Medical records of horses with SLBD treated with MSCs between 2010 and 2019 were examined.
  • Initially, all horses got allogeneic stem cells (from a donor, not the same horse) at the time of diagnosis.
  • They then received 3-4 treatments with autologous bone-marrow derived MSCs (from the same horse).
  • The researchers checked ultrasound and X-ray images to determine the extent of the ligament injury and related bone issues.
  • They assessed race performance using several metrics: career duration, race class, number of starts, and earnings after the injury. They especially compared the performance of horses that raced both before and after the injury.

Results:

  • Out of 69 horses that got the treatment, 71% (49 horses) raced after the injury.
  • Horses that had raced before the injury were more likely to race again post-injury (90% of them did), compared to those that hadn’t raced before the injury (63% of them raced post-injury).
  • Female horses were less likely to race again post-injury compared to male horses (52% vs. 79%).
  • Among the 18 horses that raced both before and after the injury, there wasn’t a significant difference in the number of races, earnings, or earnings per race before vs. after the injury.
  • On average, horses that raced after the injury had a career length of 29.5 months post-injury.

Main Limitations:

  • This is a retrospective study, meaning it’s based on past records rather than a controlled experiment. This can introduce certain biases.
  • The study lacked a control group, which would have been a group of horses with SLBD that did not receive MSC treatment. This makes it harder to directly attribute outcomes to the MSC treatment.

Conclusions:

The use of MSCs as a treatment resulted in most of the Thoroughbred racehorses with SLBD racing again post-treatment. Racing before the injury and being male increased the chances of racing again after the injury.

In simpler terms, the study suggests that MSC treatment can help injured Thoroughbred racehorses return to racing, especially if they had raced before the injury and if they are male. However, due to the study’s design, it’s not definitive proof, and more controlled studies would be needed to establish this conclusively.

Cite This Article

APA
Hansen SH, Bramlage LR, Moore GE. (2023). Racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses with suspensory ligament branch desmitis treated with mesenchymal stem cells (2010-2019). Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13980

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Hansen, Stefanie H
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Bramlage, Lawrence R
  • Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Moore, George E
  • Department of Veterinary Administration, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

References

This article includes 50 references
  1. Dyson SJ, Arthur RM, Palmer SE, Richardson D. Suspensory ligament desmitis.. Vet Clin N Am Equine Pract 1995;11:177-215.
    doi: 10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30319-xgoogle scholar: lookup
  2. Plevin S, McLellan J. The effect of insertional suspensory branch desmitis on racing performance in juvenile Thoroughbred racehorses: effect of insertional suspensory branch desmitis on racing ability.. Equine Vet J 2014;46:451-457.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12161google scholar: lookup
  3. Garrett KS, Bramlage LR, Spike-Pierce DL, Cohen ND. Injection of platelet- and leukocyte-rich plasma at the junction of the proximal sesamoid bone and the suspensory ligament branch for treatment of yearling Thoroughbreds with proximal sesamoid bone inflammation and associated suspensory ligament branch desmitis.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013;243:120-125.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.243.1.120google scholar: lookup
  4. McLellan J, Plevin S. Do radiographic signs of sesamoiditis in yearling Thoroughbreds predispose the development of suspensory ligament branch injury?: does sesamoiditis predispose the development of suspensory branch injury?. Equine Vet J 2014;46:446-450.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12154google scholar: lookup
  5. Plevin S, McLellan J, O'Keeffe T. Association between sesamoiditis, subclinical ultrasonographic suspensory ligament branch change and subsequent clinical injury in yearling Thoroughbreds.. Equine Vet J 2016;48:543-547.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12497google scholar: lookup
  6. Spike-Pierce DL, Bramlage LR. Correlation of racing performance with radiographic changes in the proximal sesamoid bones of 487 Thoroughbred yearlings.. Equine Vet J 2010;35:350-353.
    doi: 10.2746/042516403776014262google scholar: lookup
  7. Schnabel LV, Bramlage LR, Mohammed HO, Embertson RM, Ruggles AJ, Hopper SA. Racing performance after arthroscopic removal of apical sesamoid fracture fragments in Thoroughbred horses age ≥2 years: 84 cases (1989-2002).. Equine Vet J 2010;38:446-451.
    doi: 10.2746/042516406778400655google scholar: lookup
  8. Ortved KF. Regenerative medicine and rehabilitation for tendinous and ligamentous injuries in sport horses.. Vet Clin N Am Equine Pract 2018;34:359-373.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2018.04.012google scholar: lookup
  9. Lavagnino M, Madison J, Williams MR, Arnoczky SP. The equine forelimb suspensory ligament exhibits a heterogeneous strain pattern under tensile load.. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2015;28:306-311.
    doi: 10.3415/vcot-15-01-0018google scholar: lookup
  10. Butcher MT, Ashley-Ross MA. Fetlock joint kinematics differ with age in Thoroughbred racehorses.. J Biomech 2002;35:563-571.
    doi: 10.1016/s0021-9290(01)00223-8google scholar: lookup
  11. Castelijns G, Crawford A, Schaffer J, Ortolano GA, Beauregard T, Smith RKW. Evaluation of a filter-prepared platelet concentrate for the treatment of suspensory branch injuries in horses.. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2011;24:363-369.
    doi: 10.3415/vcot-11-01-0001google scholar: lookup
  12. Herthel DJ. Enhanced suspensory ligament healing in 100 horses by stem cells and other bone marrow components.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2001;47:319-321.
  13. Hall MS, Vasey JR, Russell JW, Russell T. Use of ultrasound-guided autologous bone marrow transfer for treatment of suspensory ligament desmitis in 30 race horses (2003-2010).. Aust Vet J 2013;91:102-107.
    doi: 10.1111/avj.12015google scholar: lookup
  14. Kamineni S, Ruggles A, Ashfaq H. Ultrasonic debridement with stem cell therapy of suspensory branch desmitis in an equine patient.. Open Vet J 2019;9:54-57.
    doi: 10.4314/ovj.v9i1.10google scholar: lookup
  15. Minshall GJ, Wright IM. Arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular insertional injuries of the suspensory ligament branches in 18 horses.. Equine Vet J 2010;38:10-14.
    doi: 10.2746/042516406775374243google scholar: lookup
  16. Kadic DTN, Minshall GJ, Wright IM. Surgical management of marginal tears/avulsions of the suspensory ligament branches in 29 Thoroughbred racehorses.. Equine Vet J 2019;51:310-315.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13020google scholar: lookup
  17. Godwin EE, Young NJ, Dudhia J, Beamish IC, Smith RKW. Implantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells demonstrates improved outcome in horses with overstrain injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon.. Equine Vet J 2012;44:25-32.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2011.00363.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  18. Smith RKW, Werling NJ, Dakin SG, Alam R, Goodship AE, Dudhia J. Beneficial effects of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in naturally occurring tendinopathy.. PLoS One 2013;8:e75697.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075697google scholar: lookup
  19. Lacitignola L, Crovace A, Rossi G, Francioso E. Cell therapy for tendinitis, experimental and clinical report.. Vet Res Commun 2008;32:33-38.
    doi: 10.1007/s11259-008-9085-3google scholar: lookup
  20. Lange-Consiglio A, Tassan S, Corradetti B, Meucci A, Perego R, Bizzaro D, et al. Investigating the efficacy of amnion-derived compared with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in equine tendon and ligament injuries.. Cytotherapy 2013;15:1011-1020.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2013.03.002google scholar: lookup
  21. Van Loon VJF, Scheffer CJW, Genn HJ, Hoogendoorn AC, Greve JW. Clinical follow-up of horses treated with allogeneic equine mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood for different tendon and ligament disorders.. Vet Q 2014;34:92-97.
    doi: 10.1080/01652176.2014.949390google scholar: lookup
  22. Vandenberghe A, Broeckx SY, Beerts C, Seys B, Zimmerman M, Verweire I, et al. Tenogenically induced allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of proximal suspensory ligament desmitis in a horse.. Front Vet Sci 2015;2:49.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2015.00049google scholar: lookup
  23. Beerts C, Suls M, Broeckx SY, Seys B, Vandenberghe A, Declercq J, et al. Tenogenically induced allogeneic peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells in allogeneic platelet-rich plasma: 2-year follow-up after tendon or ligament treatment in horses.. Front Vet Sci 2017;4:158.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00158google scholar: lookup
  24. Genovese RL, Rantanen NW, Hauser ML, Simpson BS. Diagnostic ultrasonography of equine limbs.. Vet Clin N Am Equine Pract 1986;2:145-226.
    doi: 10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30738-1google scholar: lookup
  25. Bellapianta J, Swartz F, Lisella J, Czajka J, Neff R, Uhl R. Randomized prospective evaluation of injection techniques for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.. Orthopedics 2011;34:708-712.
    doi: 10.3928/01477447-20110922-13google scholar: lookup
  26. Prakash Y, Dhanda A, Yallapur KL, Inamdar SS, Darshan GT, Ramakrishna M. Peppering versus single injection technique in tennis elbow-a prospective comparative study.. Malays Orthop J 2022;16:91-96.
    doi: 10.5704/moj.2203.013google scholar: lookup
  27. Kiter E, Celikbas E, Akkaya S, Demirkan F, Alper KB. Comparison of injection modalities in the treatment of plantar heel pain: a randomized controlled trial.. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2006;96:293-296.
    doi: 10.7547/0960293google scholar: lookup
  28. Gosens T, Peerbooms JC, van Laar W, den Oudsten BL. Ongoing positive effect of platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injection in lateral epicondylitis: a double-blind randomized controlled trial with 2-year follow-up.. Am J Sports Med 2011;39(6):1200-1208.
    doi: 10.1177/0363546510397173google scholar: lookup
  29. Henninger RW, Bramlage LR, Bailey M, Bertone AL, Weisbrode SE. Effects of tendon splitting on experimentally-induced acute equine tendinitis.. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 1992;5:1-9.
    doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1633122google scholar: lookup
  30. Silver IA, Brown PN, Goodship AE, Lanyon LE, McCullagh K, Perry GC, et al. A clinical and experimental study of tendon injury, healing and treatment in the horse.. Equine Vet J Suppl 1983;1:1-43.
  31. Strömberg B, Tufvesson G, Nilsson G. Effect of surgical splitting on vascular reactions in the superficial flexor tendon of the horse.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1974;164(1):57-60.
  32. Goodrich LR, Frisbie DD. How to harvest bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells for expansion and injection.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2008;54:252-257.
  33. Adams MK, Goodrich LR, Rao S, Olea-Popelka F, Phillips N, Kisidday JD, et al. Equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMDMSCs) from the ilium and sternum: are there differences?. Equine Vet J 2013;45:372-375.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00646.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  34. Bukowiecki CF, Bramlage LR, Gabel AA. In vitro strength of the suspensory apparatus in training and resting horses.. Vet Surg 1987;16:126-130.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.1987.tb00923.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  35. Hu AJ, Bramlage LR. Racing performance of Thoroughbreds with superficial digital flexor tendonitis treated with desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon: 332 cases (1989-2003).. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2014;244:1441-1448.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.244.12.1441google scholar: lookup
  36. Bramlage LR. The Thoroughbred safety committee: soundness issues.. The Jockey Club: Fifty-Sixth Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing 2008.
  37. Cheetham J, Riordan AS, Mohammed HO, McIlwraith CW, Fortier LA. Relationships between race earnings and horse age, sex, gait, track surface and number of race starts for Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses in North America: factors affecting race starts and earnings.. Equine Vet J 2010;42:346-350.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00032.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  38. Fairburn AJ, Busschers E, Barr ARS. Subclinical ultrasonographic abnormalities of the suspensory ligament branches in national hunt racehorses.. Equine Vet J 2017;49:475-479.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12639google scholar: lookup
  39. Ramzan PHL, Palmer L, Dallas RS, Shepherd MC. Subclinical ultrasonographic abnormalities of the suspensory ligament branch of the athletic horse: a survey of 60 Thoroughbred racehorses: subclinical ultrasonographic abnormalities of the suspensory ligament branch.. Equine Vet J 2013;45:159-163.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00588.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  40. Schnabel LV, Mohammed HO, Jacobson MS, Fortier LA. Effects of platelet rich plasma and acellular bone marrow on gene expression patterns and DNA content of equine suspensory ligament explant cultures.. Equine Vet J 2008;40:260-265.
    doi: 10.2746/042516408x278030google scholar: lookup
  41. McCarrel T, Fortier L. Temporal growth factor release from platelet-rich plasma, trehalose lyophilized platelets, and bone marrow aspirate and their effect on tendon and ligament gene expression.. J Orthop Res 2009;27:1033-1042.
    doi: 10.1002/jor.20853google scholar: lookup
  42. Rowland AL, Miller D, Berglund A, Schnabel LV, Levine GJ, Antczak DF, et al. Cross-matching of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells eliminates recipient immune targeting.. Stem Cells Transl Med 2021;10:694-710.
    doi: 10.1002/sctm.20-0435google scholar: lookup
  43. Colbath AC, Dow SW, McIlwraith CW, Goodrich LR. Mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of musculoskeletal disease in horses: relative merits of allogeneic versus autologous stem cells.. Equine Vet J 2020;52:654-663.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13233google scholar: lookup
  44. Pezzanite LM, Fortier LA, Antczak DF, Cassano JM, Brosnahan MM, Miller D, et al. Equine allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells elicit antibody responses in vivo.. Stem Cell Res Ther 2015;6:54.
    doi: 10.1186/s13287-015-0053-xgoogle scholar: lookup
  45. Owens SD, Kol A, Walker NJ, Borjesson DL. Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell treatment induces specific alloantibodies in horses.. Stem Cells Int 2016;2016:1-8.
    doi: 10.1155/2016/5830103google scholar: lookup
  46. Berglund AK, Schnabel LV. Allogeneic major histocompatibility complex-mismatched equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are targeted for death by cytotoxic anti-major histocompatibility complex antibodies.. Equine Vet J 2017;49:539-544.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12647google scholar: lookup
  47. Brandão JS, Alvarenga ML, Pfeifer JPH, Dos Santos VH, Fonseca-Alves CE, Rodrigues M, et al. Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in healthy equine superficial digital flexor tendon: a study of the local inflammatory response.. Res Vet Sci 2018;118:423-430.
    doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2018.03.012google scholar: lookup
  48. Guest DJ, Smith MRW, Allen WR. Monitoring the fate of autologous and allogeneic mesenchymal progenitor cells injected into the superficial digital flexor tendon of horses: preliminary study.. Equine Vet J 2008;40:178-181.
    doi: 10.2746/042516408x276942google scholar: lookup
  49. Becerra MA, Valdés Vázquez MA, Dudhia J, Fiske-Jackson AR, Neves F, Hartman NG, Smith RKW. Distribution of injected technetium99m-labeled mesenchymal stem cells in horses with naturally occurring tendinopathy.. J Orthop Res 2013;31(7):1096-1102.
    doi: 10.1002/jor.22338google scholar: lookup
  50. Sohni A, Verfaillie CM. Mesenchymal stem cells migration homing and tracking.. Stem Cells Int 2013;2013:130763.
    doi: 10.1155/2013/130763google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Boado A, Pollard D, Dyson S. Retrospective Analysis of Suspensory Ligament Branch Injuries in 70 Dressage Horses. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 23;15(21).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15213079pubmed: 41227410google scholar: lookup
  2. Guest DJ, Birch HL, Thorpe CT. A review of the equine suspensory ligament: Injury prone yet understudied. Equine Vet J 2025 Sep;57(5):1167-1182.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14447pubmed: 39604165google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.