Blind Versus Ultrasound-Guided Low-Volume Perineural Injection of Tibial and Fibular Nerves in Equine Cadaver Limbs.

Techniques for local anesthesia of the tibial (TN) and superficial and deep fibular nerves (FNs) in horses are well established. Ultrasound-guided perineural blocks can identify the nerve location, reduce the anesthetic volume needed and avoid needle misplacement. The aim of this research was to compare the success of blind perineural injection technique (BLIND) to ultrasound-guided technique (USG).

The Effect of Capacitive-Resistive Electrical Therapy on Neck Pain and Dysfunction in Horses.

Neck pain and stiffness are increasingly recognized in horses and often treated using multimodal pharmaceutical and rehabilitation approaches. In humans, deep tissue heating is reported to reduce neck pain and increase flexibility. The objective of this project was to determine the effects of capacitive-resistive electrical therapy on neck pain and stiffness in horses.

Microfracture Augmentation With Trypsin Pretreatment and Growth Factor-Functionalized Self-assembling Peptide Hydrogel Scaffold in an Equine Model.

Background: Microfracture augmentation can be a cost-effective single-step alternative to current cartilage repair techniques. Trypsin pretreatment combined with a growth factor-functionalized self-assembling KLD hydrogel ("functionalized hydrogel") has been shown to improve overall cartilage repair and integration to surrounding tissue in small animal models of osteochondral defects.

Hypothesis: Microfracture combined with trypsin treatment and a functionalized hydrogel will improve reparative tissue quality and integration as compared with microfracture alone in an equine model.

Current joint therapy usage in equine practice: Changes in the last 10 years.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a common clinical condition in the performance horse. In the last 10 years, there has been substantial growth in understanding of the disease and in the development of novel therapies.

Objectives: To document changes in clinical use of joint therapies over the past 10 years.