Lameness Therapy in the 21st Century

Lameness therapy in the 21^st Century

by Dr. Reese Hand

Dealing with lameness in the horse has been around for a long time. Historically, therapies have varied little. Medication types, uses, and frequency have changed but all traditional therapies are targeted at reducing pain and inflammation. Therapies for the 21^st century are not only targeting pain and inflammation, but they are zeroing in on regenerating and primary healing.

Injuries to joints and tendons involving the lower limb accounts for upwards of 80% of the injuries most commonly dealt with in the horse. Due to the competitive level of the equine athlete today, when one gets injured the owner is not looking to simply heal the injury but to restore it to pre-injury status in order to be competitive. Today, two advanced therapies give injured horses the chance to restore to pre-injury status.

Stem cell therapy is the process of harvesting undifferentiated cells and injecting them into the area of injury. Although this process is much more complex, simply speaking they become the environment they are placed in and help restore injured tissue back to normal tissue by regeneration and minimize scar tissue which will limit function. Stem cells can be placed into all types of soft tissue and joints to help repair injured tissue. Reports of 76% healing of suspensory tears, 56% healing joint disease and 77% resolution in tendon injury are common. (Vet-Stem Inc.)

PRP (Platelet rich plasma) is also a forefront therapy to minimize scar tissue from traditional healing and maximize tissue healing and restoration. PRP is a process of concentrating the platelet cell from whole blood and injecting it into injured joints and soft tissue. Platelets contain growth factors which the body uses to heal injured tissue. Using PRP, growth factors are concentrated upwards of 150 times what the body would be able to send to injured tissue. This substantial increase is what leads to restoration and not just healing.

Whether your horse is the next futurity hopeful or just a friendly companion, if they are injured be assured therapy to heal has taken on a new look. We hope your horse never has the need for advanced therapy, but if it does, we are prepared to provide the most up-to-date and best care possible to restore your horse to pre-injury level.