The effects of a synthetic epidermis spray on secondary intention wound healing in adult horses.

The research paper studies the effect of a synthetic skin spray on the wound healing process in adult horses, comparing it to standard bandaging technique. The study found that the spray allowed for healing without excessive tissue growth yet didn’t speed up the healing process compared to bandaging.

Methods:

• The study was conducted on six Standardbred mares.
• Four full-thickness skin wounds each measuring 2.5 x 2.5 cm were created on each thoracic limb of the horses.
• Two of these wounds were placed on the upper front part of the cannon bone, and the other two were placed at the upper front part of the fetlock.
• After six hours, the wounds were treated randomly either with a synthetic skin spray (Novacika®, Cohesive S.A.S, France) or a standard bandage.
• The condition of the wounds was visually assessed and monitored using a 3D imaging camera every four days.
• The 3D images of the wounds were analyzed using a specific application.

Results:

• 22 out of 46 wounds showed overgrowth of granulation tissue. These wounds were part of the group treated with standard bandaging.
• The time taken for wound healing was observed to be the same regardless of whether the wound was treated with the spray or standard bandaging.

Conclusions:

• The synthetic skin spray allowed the wounds to heal without the formation of excessive granulation tissue. However, it did not reduce the time taken for wound healing compared to standard bandaging.
• The synthetic skin spray can be considered a practical and economical alternative for managing wound healing in adult horses. This is particularly relevant for superficial, non-infected wounds on the lower limb.
• However, the researchers advise caution when interpreting the statistical results (p-values, in particular) because of the small sample size used in the study.