Single-incision drilling technique to achieve hemiepiphysiodesis of the distal metacarpus - complications and outcome in 207 foals with metacarpophalangeal varus deformities.

Objective: To report the outcome of foals treated for metacarpophalangeal varus deformity with a single-incision drilling technique for hemiepiphysiodesis of the distal lateral metacarpal physis.

Study Design: Retrospective case-control cohort study.

Animals: Thoroughbred foals (n = 207), 171 age- and sex-matched maternal siblings.

Arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments located within the condylar fossa of the third metacarpus/metatarsus in Thoroughbred yearlings.

Objective: To describe an arthroscopic technique for the removal of osteochondral fragments located within the condylar fossa of the third metacarpal/tarsal bone.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: Thoroughbred yearlings (n = 11).

Survival and racing performance after surgical treatment of rib fractures in foals.

Objective: To evaluate the short and long-term outcomes of foals treated surgically for fractured ribs and variables that may affect outcome.

Study Design: Retrospective.

Animals: Seventy-three equine neonates with surgically repaired fractured ribs.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic cystotomy for cystic calculus removal in male horses (3 cases).

A technique for hand-assisted laparoscopic removal of cystic calculi in male horses is described. Three cystic calculi ranging from 5 to 10 cm in diameter were removed successfully using bilateral para-inguinal laparoscopic portals assisted by a human hand within the abdomen, effectively sealing the midline incision. Long-term follow-up information obtained from referring veterinarians and owners indicated that the patients returned to their previous activity level and had no recurrence of clinical signs in the following 6 to 12 months.

Macrophage Activation in the Synovium of Healthy and Osteoarthritic Equine Joints.

Synovitis is a major component of osteoarthritis and is driven primarily by macrophages. Synovial macrophages are crucial for joint homeostasis (M2-like phenotype), but induce inflammation (M1-like) when regulatory functions become overwhelmed. Macrophage phenotypes in synovium from osteoarthritic and healthy joints are poorly characterized; however, comparative knowledge of their phenotypes during health and disease is paramount for developing targeted treatments.

Radiographic Description of a Bone Exostosis Lesion on the Caudal Aspect of the Proximal Tibia in Three Thoroughbred Yearlings (2014-2019).

This manuscript describes exostosis lesions originating from the caudal aspect of the proximal tibia identified in three Thoroughbred yearlings as part of the routine review of presale radiographic images. These lesions are hypothesized to be osteochondromas. The identification of bony exostoses on the proximal tibia has not been reported before in current literature.

Single-incision percutaneous drilling technique to achieve hemiepiphysiodesis of the distal metacarpus in foals with metacarpophalangeal varus deformities.

Objective: To describe a drilling technique for hemiepiphysiodesis of the distal lateral metacarpal physis and report the outcome of treated foals.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Sample Population: Eleven thoroughbred foals.

Description of a rare osteochondrosis lesion of the medial aspect of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia in seven Thoroughbred horses (2008-2018).

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia (DIRT) is commonly identified on either the lateral to medial (LM) or dorso45°medial-plantarolateral oblique (D45M-PLO) projection of the tarsus. This manuscript describes a retrospective case series out of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, for which medical records and radiographic projections of the tarsus were reviewed, consistent with Keeneland's repository requirements. This original investigation identified seven yearling Thoroughbred horses between 2008 and 2018 with radiographic signs of atypical osteochondrosis lesions within the tarsus.

Ceratohyoidectomy in standing sedated horses.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and complications associated with ceratohyoidectomy (CHE) in standing sedated horses unaffected (experimental horses) and standing sedated horses affected (clinical cases) with temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO).

Study Design: Case series.

Animals: Six experimental horses and four clinical cases.

Cecal entrapment within the epiploic foramen in a mare.

An 11-year-old Thoroughbred mare with colic unresponsive to medical treatment underwent exploratory laparotomy. During surgery the cecum was found entrapped within the epiploic foramen from left to right. The entrapped cecum was reduced through the foramen by gentle traction.

Internal fixation of fractured ribs in neonatal foals with nylon cable tie using a modified technique.

Nylon cable tie has been shown to be an effective and economical method for fixing fractured ribs in the neonatal foal. This article describes a modification of the previously described technique. Under general anesthesia, the fractured ribs were exposed and a hole was drilled in the dorsal and ventral fragments.

Standing placement of transphyseal screw in the distal radius in 8 Thoroughbred yearlings.

This retrospective study describes placement of distal radial transphyseal screws in Thoroughbred yearlings with carpal varus deformities while standing, and identifes short- and long-term complications following the procedure. Data gathered from 2009 to 2013 identified 8 yearlings that met the inclusion criteria. Horses were sedated intravenously and a single 4.

Endoscopic, transoral, reduction of epiglottic entrapment via wire snare technique.

Objective: To describe the use of a wire snare technique for epiglottic entrapment.

Study Design: Case series.

Animals: Eight adult horses.

Ultrasound assisted arthroscopic approach for removal of basilar sesamoid fragments of the proximal sesamoid bones in horses.

Objective: To describe an ultrasound assisted arthroscopic approach for removal of non-articular basilar sesamoid fragments in Thoroughbred yearlings.

Animals: Thoroughbred yearlings (n = 7).

Methods: Basilar sesamoid fragments identified during pre-sale radiographic examination were removed using a palmar/plantar arthroscopic approach to the fetlock joint and ultrasonographic guidance.

Human and murine very small embryonic-like cells represent multipotent tissue progenitors, in vitro and in vivo.

The purpose of this study was to determine the lineage progression of human and murine very small embryonic-like (HuVSEL or MuVSEL) cells in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, HuVSEL and MuVSEL cells differentiated into cells of all three embryonic germ layers. HuVSEL cells produced robust mineralized tissue of human origin compared with controls in calvarial defects.

Foaling rates after surgical repair of ventral cervical lacerations using a Trendelenburg position in 18 anesthetized mares.

Objective: To (1) describe a surgical technique for repair of lacerations of the ventral aspect of the cervix in anesthetized mares in Trendelenburg position; and (2) report conception rates and foaling after repair.

Study Design: Case series.

Animals: Mares (n = 18).

Human very small embryonic-like cells generate skeletal structures, in vivo.

Human very small embryonic-like (hVSEL) cells are a resident population of multipotent stem cells in the bone marrow involved in the turnover and regeneration of tissues. The levels of VSEL cells in blood are greatly increased in response to injury, and they have been shown to repair injured tissues. Adult hVSEL cells, SSEA-4(+)/CD133(+)/CXCR4(+)/Lin(-)/CD45(-), express the pluripotency markers (Oct-4 and Nanog) and may be able to differentiate into cells from all 3 germ lineages.

Potential for a pluripotent adult stem cell treatment for acute radiation sickness.

Accidental radiation exposure and the threat of deliberate radiation exposure have been in the news and are a public health concern. Experience with acute radiation sickness has been gathered from atomic blast survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and from civilian nuclear accidents as well as experience gained during the development of radiation therapy for cancer. This paper reviews the medical treatment reports relevant to acute radiation sickness among the survivors of atomic weapons at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, among the victims of Chernobyl, and the two cases described so far from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi disaster.

Identification of a periorbital wooden foreign body as the cause of chronic ocular discharge in a horse.

The clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of a horse with a wooden foreign body embedded in the deep portion of the right masseter muscle adjacent to the right orbit are presented. The purpose of this report is to describe the clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging findings and treatment of a penetrating wooden foreign body in a horse that had no history of trauma or evidence of a puncture wound. This report documents the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging to detect a wooden foreign body embedded in the soft tissues of a horse with a chronic copious ocular discharge.

Osteomyelitis of the patella in eight foals.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of osteomyelitis lesions of the patella and to report short- and long-term outcome after treatment in 8 foals.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: Foals (n = 8).

The use of nylon cable ties to repair rib fractures in neonatal foals.

Commercially available nylon cable ties were used as a method of internal fixation for displaced rib fractures in 8 equine neonates. The procedure was effective, well-tolerated, rapid, and inexpensive. The use of nylon cable ties as internal fixation for displaced rib fractures in foals is an effective surgical procedure.

A comparison of stem cells for therapeutic use.

A critical comparison of the attributes of several types of stem cells is presented, with particular emphasis on properties that are critical for the application of these cells for therapeutic purposes. The importance of an autologous source of pluripotent stem cells is stressed. It is apparent that two sources currently exist for non-embryonic pluripotent stem cells--very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS).

Diaphragmatic herniation in the horse: 31 cases from 2001-2006.

Diaphragmatic rent and visceral herniation in the horse is seldom diagnosed, but historically carries a poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to document the presentation and surgical management of all diaphragmatic rents as presented to 2 referral institutions over a 5-year period. A review of 31 cases demonstrated that even with advances in surgical management of abdominal and thoracic conditions, little has been done to change the prognosis for this condition.

Standing hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy in 65 mares.

Objective: To review the efficacy and safety of unilateral ovariectomy by use of a standing hand-assisted laparoscopic approach and evaluate the effect of ovary size on posttransection hemorrhage after application of a linear stapling device.

Study Design: Case series.

Animals: Horses (n=65) aged 2-20 years.