Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
2
Dept of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
3
Dept of Anatomy & Histology, Faculty of BioSciences, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
4
Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
5
Department of Statistics and Computer Science, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
10.30466/vrf.2025.2055345.4691
Abstract
Superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendonitis is a leading cause of lameness in race and polo horses. Traditional therapies do not always prove effective in eliminating tendinopathy, thus culminating in tendon re-injury, persistent lameness, and performance shortfalls in affected horses. This study assessed therapeutic outcomes of conventional therapies versus extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), applied on a total of 18 race and polo horses affected with chronic tendinitis. The horses were divided into three groups (n=6): Group A (control, sham treated), Group B (blister treated), and Group C (shock wave treated with 500–1500 pulses, every two weeks for a total of 4-6 treatments). Follow-up clinical examinations revealed that warmth, swelling, and pain scores were significantly lower for the shock wave Group C (P<0.01). Shock wave therapy proved superior in providing an early analgesic effect (day 28) versus the late analgesia provided by blister group B. Lameness scores were likewise significantly lower for the shock wave group C (P<0.01), with an early return to full performance (day 84) versus delayed performance (day 98) and persistent lameness in the blister group B. Assessment of the injured, treated site, through color Doppler ultrasound at the maximum injury zone (MIZ), revealed significant Doppler signals suggestive of vascularization and early healing in the ESWT Group C (P<0.01) versus the absence of such signals in the blister and control groups (B and A), respectively. Conclusively, shockwave therapy proves to be superior to blistering, owing to its greater efficacy, humane approach, early regeneration, and lack of reported complications.
Keywords
Subjects
