Arthroskopische Anbohrung equiner Strahlbeine

Navicular disease is associated with intraosseous hypertension and venous stasis. Although core decompression by drilling is an accepted treatment regimen for similar conditions in humans, no experimental results exist concerning its application in the equine navicular bone and its physiological effects. During an in vitro study, the effects of decompression drilling of various drill bit sizes and drill channel numbers on the intraosseous pressure and the 3-point bending breaking strength of isolated navicular bones were studied and correlated to the bone mineral density (BMD). Core decompression significantly reduced the intraosseous pressure response to stresstest- injections. A significant correlation existed between response to stress tests and BMD. The drill channels did not significantly reduce the 3-point bending breaking strength, regardless of their size and number. In the course of the second part of the investigation, core decompression was carried out arthroscopically in navicular bones of 6 healthy horses. The procedure was performed in both front limbs staged by 3 weeks. The venous, arterial, articular and intraosseous pressures were recorded before and after drilling, after intraosseous stress – test- injections as well as 3 resp. 6 weeks after core decompression. Postoperative lameness was assessed subjectively and using force plate gait analysis before inclusion of the animals into the study as well as 1, 3 and 6 weeks post operatively. Navicular radiographs were taken prior to acceptance of the horses into the program, immediately after surgery and at week 1,3,6,9 and 12. Fluorochrome bone – labeling was performed by alternating intravenous administration of oxytetracycline and calcein green every 3 weeks starting at day 0 (first surgery). The animals were sacrificed following a 12 week observation period. The navicular bones were isolated, the bone mineral density was measured and bone histology was performed on undecalcified sections using Toluidinblue and von Kossa/McNeill stains in addition to the unstained fluorochrome slides. Core decompression significantly reduced the intraosseous pressure response to stresstest- injections. The effect decreased over the course of the observation period. A significant correlation existed between response to stress tests and BMD. 114 No significant lameness was observed after the first 5 days following surgery. The drill defects were clearly visible on tangential radiographs for the entire study period. Histology revealed an almost complete seal of the drill channels with fibrous tissue and woven bone at the time of sacrifice, 12 weeks after surgery. Significant remodeling and neovascularization was demonstrated in the vicinity of the surgery sites. In conclusion core decompression of the equine navicular bone appears to be a safe procedure in regard to breaking strength and postoperative lameness score. It significantly decreased intraosseous pressures following stress tests in healthy horses. As the direct decompression effects of the procedure are short – lived due to the rapid healing of the drill channels, its possible long – term effects, which might be extended by the neovascularization, as well as its efficacy in the treatment of horses with navicular disease remain to be assessed.Strahlbeinkrankheit weist viele Parallelen mit dem idiopathischen osteonekrotischen Arthrosekomplex des Menschen auf. Erhöhter intraossärer Druck und venöse Stase im Knochenmark sind pathognomonische Symptome dieses Krankheitskomplexes und können auch in erkrankten Strahlbeinen des Pferdes nachgewiesen werden. In der Humanmedizin wird Knochendekompression durch Pridie-Bohrungen oft mit Erfolg als Behandlungsverfahren eingesetzt, im Pferd ist diese Methode jedoch noch nicht erprobt worden. Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte die Auswirkungen von Pridie - Bohrungen auf klinisch und radiologisch unauffällige Strahlbeine in vitro und in vivo. Der Effekt der Bohrungen auf den intraossären Druck, die biomechanische Belastbarkeit und den Komfortlevel der Pferde war dabei von besonderem Interesse. Währen der in vitro Phase des Projektes, wurden die Effekte von Pridie – Bohrungen verschieder Anzahl und unterschiedlichen Bohrkanaldurchmessers auf den intraossären Druck und die 3-Punkt Beugestärke von isolierten Strahlbeinen studiert und mit der Knochendichte (BMD) korreliert. Pridie – Bohrung reduzierte die intraossäre Druckreaktion zu Stresstest – Injektionen statistisch signifikant. Die Korrelation zwischen intraossärer Druckreaktion zu Stresstest- Injektion und BMD war ebenfalls statistisch signifikant. Die 3-Punkt Beugestärke wurde durch die Bohrkanäle nicht signifikant reduziert. Während der in vivo Phase des Projektes, wurden die Strahlbeine von 6 gesunden, lahmheitsfreien Pferden arthroskopisch mit Pridie- Bohrungen versehen. Die Operation wurde im Abstand von 3 Wochen an beiden Vordergliedmassen durchgeführt. Der venöse, arterielle, intraartikuläre und intraossäre Druck wuden vor and nach den Pridie – Bohrungen gemessen. Jeder Messzyklus des intraossären Druckes bestand aus Messung des Basiswertes und Messung der intraossären Druckreaktion zu intraossärer Injektion von physiologischer Kochsalzlösung (Stresstest). Die Messungen wurden 3 Wochen nach Operation der 2. Gliedmasse an beiden Voderbeinen wiederholt. Der postoperative Lahmheitsgrad wurde subjektiv sowie objektiv mittels force plate Ganganalyse evaluiert. Die Strahlbeine wurden vor Einschluss der Pferde in die Studie, sofort nach der Operation und in den Wochen 1,3,6,9 und 12 geröngt. Fluorochrome Knochenmarker wurden alle 3 Wochen intravenös gespritzt. Die Pferde wurden 12Wochen nach Beginn der Studie eingeschläfert. Die Strahlbeine wurden zur Messung der Knochendichte und histologischen Auswertung entnommen. Pridie- Bohrung reduzierte die intraossäre Druckreaktion zu Stresstests statistisch signifikant. Der Effekt nahm im Laufe der Studiendauer ab. Die Korrelation zwischen der intraossären Druckreaktion zu Stresstests und der BMD war statistisch signifikant. Die Pferde zeigten nach den ersten 5 Tagen nach der Operation keine signifikante Lahmheit. Die Bohrkanäle blieben für die gesamte Studiendauer klar auf den tangentiellen Röntgenaufnahmen ersichtlich. Histologisch waren die Kanäle fast zur Gänze mit Gewebe und Faserknochen gefüllt. Um die Bohrkanäle war signifikante Remodellierung und Neovaskularisierung zu sehen. Zusammenfassend kann gesagt werden, dass Pridie – Bohrung von 3 unter arthroskopischer Kontrolle angefertigten Bohrkanälen mit einem Durchmesser von 3.2 mm die intraossäre Druckreaktion des Strahlbeins zu Stresstests signifikant moduliert. Die Reduktion des Dekompressionseffekts im Verlauf der 3. bzw. 6 Wochen der Kontrollphase und die rapide Füllung der Bohrkanäle mit hoch vaskularisiertem Faserknochen, sind im Einklang mit anderen publizierten Untersuchungen. In Angesicht der Regenerationsfähigkeit des Knochens, ist das Einwachsen von Gefäßen in das Operationsfeld die Voraussetzung für mögliche Langzeiteffekte der Bohrung. Da die biomechanischen Tests keine signifikante Reduktion der Belastbarkeit als Konsequenz der Operation zeigten und die Versuchspferde sich schnell von der Operation erholten, wäre eine Untersuchung der Effekte der core decompression auf podotrochlotisch veränderte Strahlbeine, der nächste Schritt

The impact of opioid administration on the incidence of postanaesthetic colic in horses

Effective management of postoperative pain is essential to ensure patient welfare, reduce morbidity and optimize recovery. Opioids are effective in managing moderate to severe pain in horses but concerns over their adverse effects on gastrointestinal (GI) motility and associated increased colic risk limit their widespread use. Studies investigating the impact of systemic opioids on both GI motility and colic incidence in horses have yielded inconclusive outcomes. Therefore, this retrospective study aims to assess the influence of systemic administration of butorphanol, morphine, and methadone on post-anaesthetic colic (PAC) incidence. Horses undergoing general anaesthesia for non-gastrointestinal procedures that were hospitalized for at least 72 h post-anaesthesia were included in this study. Anaesthetised horses were stratified by procedure type into horses undergoing diagnostic imaging without surgical intervention, emergency or elective surgery. In addition, patients were grouped by opioid treatment regime into horses receiving no opioids, intraanaesthetic, short- (<24 h) or long-term (>24 h) postoperative opioids. Administered opioids encompassed butorphanol, morphine and methadone. The number of horses showing signs of colic in the 72 h after anaesthesia was assessed for each group. A total of 782 horses were included, comprising 659 undergoing surgical procedures and 123 undergoing diagnostic imaging. The overall PAC incidence was 15.1%. Notably, horses undergoing diagnostic imaging without surgery had a significantly lower PAC rate of 6.5% compared to those undergoing surgery (16.7%, p = 0.0146). Emergency surgeries had a significantly lower PAC rate of 5.8% compared to elective procedures (18%, p = 0.0113). Of the 782 horses, 740 received intraoperative opioids and 204 postoperative opioids, 102 of which long-term (≥24 h). Neither intraoperative (p = 0.4243) nor short-term postoperative opioids (p = 0.5744) increased PAC rates. Notably, only the long-term (≥24 h) administration of morphine significantly increased PAC incidence to 34% (p = 0.0038). In contrast, long-term butorphanol (5.3% PAC, p = 0.8482) and methadone (18.4% PAC, p = 0.6161) did not affect PAC rates. In summary, extended morphine administration was the only opioid treatment associated with a significantly increased risk of PAC

Чергове засідання Ради Міжнародної асоціації академій наук

7 червня 2012 року в Національному дослідницькому центрі «Курчатовський інститут» відбулося чергове засідання Ради Міжнародної асоціації академій наук (МААН). Під час урочистої церемонії закриття засідання президенту МААН, президенту НАН України академіку НАН України і РАН Борису Євгеновичу Патону було присвоєно звання Почесного доктора НДЦ «Курчатовський інститут»

Development, refinement, and validation of an equine musculoskeletal pain scale

Musculoskeletal disease is a common cause of chronic pain that is often overlooked and inadequately treated, impacting the quality of life of humans and horses alike. Lameness due to musculoskeletal pain is prevalent in horses, but the perception of pain by owners is low compared with veterinary diagnosis. Therefore, this study aims to establish and validate a pain scale for chronic equine orthopaedic pain that is user-friendly for horse owners and veterinarians to facilitate the identification and monitoring of pain in horses. The newly developed musculoskeletal pain scale (MPS) was applied to 154 horses (mean age 20 ± 6.4 years SD) housed at an equine sanctuary, of which 128 (83%) suffered from chronic orthopaedic disease. To complete the MPS, the horses were observed and videotaped from a distance while at rest in their box or enclosure. In addition, they received a complete clinical and orthopaedic exam. The need for veterinary intervention to address pain (assessed and executed by the sanctuary independent from this study) was used as a longitudinal health outcome to determine the MPS’s predictive validity. To determine the interrater agreement, the MPS was scored for a randomly selected subset of 30 horses by six additional blinded raters, three equine veterinary practitioners, and three experienced equestrians. An iterative process was used to refine the tool based on improvements in the MPS’s correlation with lameness evaluated at the walk and trot, predictive validity for longitudinal health outcomes, and interrater agreement. The intraclass correlation improved from 0.77 of the original MPS to 0.88 of the refined version (95% confidence interval: 0.8–0.94). The refined MPS correlated significantly with lameness at the walk (r = 0.44, p = 0.001) and trot (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001). The refined MPS significantly differed between horses that needed veterinary intervention (mean MPS = 8.6) and those that did not (mean MPS = 5.0, p = 0.0007). In summary, the MPS showed good interrater repeatability between expert and lay scorers, significant correlation with lameness at the walk and trot, and good predictive validity for longitudinal health outcomes, confirming its ability to identify horses with orthopaedic health problems

Large Animal Models in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering: To Do or Not to Do

Rapid developments in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering has witnessed an increasing drive toward clinical translation of breakthrough technologies. However, the progression of promising preclinical data to achieve successful clinical market authorisation remains a bottleneck. One hurdle for progress to the clinic is the transition from small animal research to advanced preclinical studies in large animals to test safety and efficacy of products. Notwithstanding this, to draw meaningful and reliable conclusions from animal experiments it is critical that the species and disease model of choice is relevant to answer the research question as well as the clinical problem. Selecting the most appropriate animal model requires in-depth knowledge of specific species and breeds to ascertain the adequacy of the model and outcome measures that closely mirror the clinical situation. Traditional reductionist approaches in animal experiments, which often do not sufficiently reflect the studied disease, are still the norm and can result in a disconnect in outcomes observed between animal studies and clinical trials. To address these concerns a reconsideration in approach will be required. This should include a stepwise approach using in vitro and ex vivo experiments as well as in silico modeling to minimize the need for in vivo studies for screening and early development studies, followed by large animal models which more closely resemble human disease. Naturally occurring, or spontaneous diseases in large animals remain a largely untapped resource, and given the similarities in pathophysiology to humans they not only allow for studying new treatment strategies but also disease etiology and prevention. Naturally occurring disease models, particularly for longer lived large animal species, allow for studying disorders at an age when the disease is most prevalent. As these diseases are usually also a concern in the chosen veterinary species they would be beneficiaries of newly developed therapies. Improved awareness of the progress in animal models is mutually beneficial for animals, researchers, human and veterinary patients. In this overview we describe advantages and disadvantages of various animal models including domesticated and companion animals used in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering to provide an informed choice of disease-relevant animal models

Equine Social Behaviour: Love, War and Tolerance

Sociality is an ethological need of horses that remained unchanged by domestication. Accordingly, it is essential to include horses’ social behavioural requirements and the opportunity to establish stable affiliative bonds in equine management systems and welfare assessment. Thus, this systematic review aims to provide an up-to-date analysis of equine intraspecific social ethograms. A literature review yielded 27 papers that met the inclusion criteria by studying adult (≥2 years) equine social behaviour with conspecifics using a well-defined ethogram. Social interactions were observed in 851 horses: 320 (semi-)feral free-ranging, 62 enclosed (semi-)feral and 469 domesticated, living in groups averaging 9.1 (mean +/− 6.8 s.d., range: 2–33) horses. The ethograms detailed in these 27 studies included a total of 40 (mean: 12.8/paper, range: 2–23) social behaviours, of which 60% (24/40) were agonistic, 30% (12/40) affiliative, 7.5% (3/40) investigative and 2.5% (1/40) neutral. The 27 publications included 67.7% agonistic and only 26% affiliative, 5.1% investigative and 1.2% neutral social behaviours in their methodology, thus focusing predominantly on socio-negative interactions. The strong emphasis on agonistic behaviours in equine ethology starkly contrasts with the rare occurrence of agonistic behaviours in stable horse groups and the well-established importance of affiliative interactions for equine welfare. The nuanced and complex equine social behaviour requires refinement of the ethogram with a greater focus on affiliative, ambivalent and indifferent interactions and the role of social tolerance in equine social networks to advance equine welfare assessment

Regenerative Medicine for Equine Musculoskeletal Diseases

Musculoskeletal injuries and chronic degenerative diseases commonly affect both athletic and sedentary horses and can entail the end of their athletic careers. The ensuing repair processes frequently do not yield fully functional regeneration of the injured tissues but biomechanically inferior scar or replacement tissue, causing high reinjury rates, degenerative disease progression and chronic morbidity. Regenerative medicine is an emerging, rapidly evolving branch of translational medicine that aims to replace or regenerate cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function. It includes tissue engineering but also cell-based and cell-free stimulation of endogenous self-repair mechanisms. Some regenerative medicine therapies have made their way into equine clinical practice mainly to treat tendon injures, tendinopathies, cartilage injuries and degenerative joint disorders with promising results. However, the qualitative and quantitative spatiotemporal requirements for specific bioactive factors to trigger tissue regeneration in the injury response are still unknown, and consequently, therapeutic approaches and treatment results are diverse. To exploit the full potential of this burgeoning field of medicine, further research will be required and is ongoing. This review summarises the current knowledge of commonly used regenerative medicine treatments in equine patients and critically discusses their use

Austrian Veterinarians’ Attitudes to Euthanasia in Equine Practice

Euthanasia of companion animals is a challenging responsibility in the veterinary profession since veterinarians have to consider not only medical, but also legal, economic, emotional, social, and ethical factors in decision-making. To this end; an anonymous questionnaire-based survey of Austrian equine veterinarians examines the attitudes to the euthanasia of equine patients in a range of scenarios; to identify factors which may influence decisions on the ending of a horse’s life. This paper describes the distributions of demographic and attitude variables. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to test the associations of gender, work experience, and equine workload with attitudes in relation to euthanasia statements and case scenarios. In total, 64 respondents (response rate = 23.4%) completed the questionnaire. The study showed that veterinarians consider contextual and relational factors in their decision-making. They are aware of owners’ emotional bonds with their horses and financial background, however, requests for convenience euthanasia are typically rejected. Although some significant differences between the tested variables emerged, the attitudes of the veterinarians were shown to be largely shared. In conclusion, veterinarians are aware of the multiple factors that influence their decision-making and gave indications as to the weight of animal- and owner-related factors in the handling of euthanasia

Activity Time Budgets—A Potential Tool to Monitor Equine Welfare?

Horses’ behavior can provide valuable insight into their subjective state and is thus a good indicator of welfare. However, its complexity requires objective, quantifiable, and unambiguous evidence-based assessment criteria. As healthy, stress-free horses exhibit a highly repetitive daily routine, temporal quantification of their behavioral activities (time budget analysis) can assist in equine welfare assessment. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to provide an up-to-date analysis of equine time budget studies. A review of the literature yielded 12 papers that fulfilled the inclusion criteria: assessment of equine time budgets for eating, resting and movement for a minimum of 24 continuous hours. A total of 144 horses (1–27 years old), 59 semi-feral and 85 domesticated horses, are included in this review. The 24 h time budgets for foraging or eating (10–6.6%), resting (8.1–66%), lying (2.7–27.3%), and locomotion (0.015–19.1%) showed large variance between studies, which can largely be attributed to differences in age and environmental conditions. Management interventions in domesticated horses (ad libitum access to food, increased space, decreased population density) resulted in time budgets similar to their (semi-)feral conspecifics, emphasizing the importance of environmental conditions and the ability of time budgets to assist in monitoring horses’ welfare

Species variations in tenocytes’ response to inflammation require careful selection of animal models for tendon research

Abstract For research on tendon injury, many different animal models are utilized; however, the extent to which these species simulate the clinical condition and disease pathophysiology has not yet been critically evaluated. Considering the importance of inflammation in tendon disease, this study compared the cellular and molecular features of inflammation in tenocytes of humans and four common model species (mouse, rat, sheep, and horse). While mouse and rat tenocytes most closely equalled human tenocytes’ low proliferation capacity and the negligible effect of inflammation on proliferation, the wound closure speed of humans was best approximated by rats and horses. The overall gene expression of human tenocytes was most similar to mice under healthy, to horses under transient and to sheep under constant inflammatory conditions. Humans were best matched by mice and horses in their tendon marker and collagen expression, by horses in extracellular matrix remodelling genes, and by rats in inflammatory mediators. As no single animal model perfectly replicates the clinical condition and sufficiently emulates human tenocytes, fit-for-purpose selection of the model species for each specific research question and combination of data from multiple species will be essential to optimize translational predictive validity