The use of intraneural doxorubicin in association with palmar digital neurectomy in 28 horses.

This research article discusses an experiment where horses suffering from navicular disease, preexisting painful neuroma, or wing fractures of the distal phalanx were treated using doxorubicin in combination with palmar digital neurectomy. After a year, some horses improved but others had complications, suggesting that this technique might not offer benefits over other current methods.

Research Objective

• The goal of the study was to explore whether injecting doxorubicin (also known as Adriamycin) in combination with a palmar digital neurectomy – a surgical procedure to remove part of a nerve causing pain or discomfort – could help prevent neuroma formation in horses enduring different types of pain.

Methodology

• Twenty-eight horses with navicular disease, preexisting painful neuroma, or wing fractures of the distal phalanx were selected for the procedure.
• The process included injecting doxorubicin into the proximal transected nerve stump. Previously, this method had demonstrated a prevention of axon sprouting and neuroma formation for up to 5 months in experimental settings.

Results

• After one month, 16 out of the 28 horses had complications at the site of incision.
• After one year, only half of the horses (15 out of 28) were found to be without limping or discomfort.
• Eight horses continued to display signs of lameness, though three were reported to show some improvement.
• Of the total sample, three horses required a second surgical procedure, and two of these managed to regain soundness after the follow-up operation.

Limitations and Conclusion

• Follow-up data was not available for two horses, limiting the overall sample size of the study.
• The final results suggest that this particular technique led to a significant rate of wound complications and it was concluded that there was no evident benefit over existing techniques of palmar digital neurectomy.
• Thus, despite its theoretical promise, the practical application of this approach appeared to lack efficacy and had a higher risk of causing post-operative complications.