The efficacy of injecting a distillate of the pitcher plant (Sarraceniaceae) adjacent to the palmar digital nerves of horses to ameliorate lameness caused by digital pain.
Abstract: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of instilling extract of the pitcher plant around the palmar digital nerves of horses to ameliorate digit pain causing lameness. Five mixed breed horses were recruited. Horses were determined to be lame because of pain in the distal portion of one or both thoracic limbs by a positive response to a basisesamoid nerve block using 2%^mepivacaine hydrochloride. Gait was evaluated pre- and post-nerve block at 30 min, 3, 7,14 and 21 days. At the 3-week evaluation, the basisesamoid nerve block was repeated using the extract, and the gait was evaluated at similar times. Lameness was evaluated objectively using a wireless, inertial, sensor-based, motion analysis system. The basisesamoid nerve block significantly ameliorated lameness at 30 min when gait was evaluated, but it had no significant effect on lameness after this time. The product containing extract of the pitcher plant had no significant effect on lameness when administered as a basisesamoid nerve block at any time. Extract of the pitcher plant administered adjacent to the medial and lateral palmar digital nerves (i.e., a basisesamoid nerve block) had no efficacy in ameliorating lameness in the distal portion of one or both thoracic limbs. Extract of the pitcher plant likely has no value for treating horses for chronic pain when administered as a regional nerve block.
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2023-12-24 PubMed ID: 38145776DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104974Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the effect of pitcher plant extract on alleviating lameness in horses due to digit pain. It concludes that the extract doesn’t show significant improvement when used as a regional nerve block.
Study Objectives and Methodology
- The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of injecting pitcher plant extract into the palmar digital nerves of horses. The objective was to see if this method can alleviate lameness caused by digit pain.
- Five mixed-breed horses were part of this study. These horses were already identified as lame due to pain in the lower part of one or both their front limbs. This determination was made based on a positive response to a basisesamoid nerve block using mepivacaine hydrochloride.
- The researchers evaluated the horse’s gait, both before and after the nerve block, at different time intervals — 30 minutes, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days.
- To compare the impacts, the same nerve block procedure was repeated three weeks later, using the pitcher plant extract. The gait was evaluated at the same time frames as before.
- An objective evaluation of the lameness was made using a wireless, sensor-based, motion analysis system.
Results
- The basisesamoid nerve block showed significant improvement in lameness 30 minutes post-block, but no significant effect was noted after that time.
- The pitcher plant extract, however, showed no significant effect on eliminating lameness when administered as a basisesamoid nerve block at any time.
- From this study, it was concluded that the pitcher plant extract does not effectively alleviate lameness when administered via a basisesamoid nerve block.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that the extract from the Pitcher Plant likely has no value in treating horses suffering from chronic pain when administered as a regional nerve block.
- This research points to the need for alternative treatments or medications to help alleviate chronic digit pain causing lameness in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Livesey L, DeGraves F, Allred C, Boone L, Schumacher J.
(2023).
The efficacy of injecting a distillate of the pitcher plant (Sarraceniaceae) adjacent to the palmar digital nerves of horses to ameliorate lameness caused by digital pain.
J Equine Vet Sci, 133, 104974.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104974 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, AL 36088 (Livesey, Allred). Electronic address: llivesey@tuskegee.edu.
- Department of Agriculture and Food Science, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, DeGraves.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, AL 36088 (Livesey, Allred).
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL 36849, (Boone, Schumacher).
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL 36849, (Boone, Schumacher).
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Animals
- Sarraceniaceae
- Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
- Lameness, Animal / etiology
- Pain / drug therapy
- Pain / etiology
- Pain / veterinary
- Mepivacaine / pharmacology
- Mepivacaine / therapeutic use
- Gait
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.
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