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EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION / AE / OCTOBER 2014


data suggests that horses with colic and high cTnI concentrations at admission are more likely to have ventricular arrhythmias and have a less favourable prognosis for recovery. High cTnI concentrations in horses with colic were suggestive of myocardial damage.


Digital abdominal radiography of enteroliths


In this retrospective case series, Maureen Kelleher and colleagues in the USA aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of direct digital abdominal radiography for the diagnosis of enterolithiasis in equids and also to assess the effect of the number and anatomic location of enteroliths and gas distention of the gastrointestinal tract on diagnostic sensitivity of the technique. The 238 horses and ponies in this study were all aged


≥1 year and had undergone digital abdominal radiography with subsequent exploratory celiotomy or post mortem examination. Radiographic images were evaluated independently by 3 reviewers for presence/absence and location of enteroliths and the degree of gas distention. Case details, definitive diagnosis and number and anatomic location of enteroliths were obtained from medical records. Enterolithiasis was confirmed in 29.4% of the equids. Sensitivity and specificity of digital radiography for the diagnosis of large colon enterolithiasis in equids was high. Sensitivity of digital radiography for detection of small colon enteroliths was lower than for large colon enteroliths, but was higher than that typically associated with computed radiography. The authors suggest that in geographic regions in which enterolithiasis in equids is endemic, digital abdominal radiography could be used as a diagnostic test for equids with colic.


Overloading damage in equine athletes


S. Turley and colleagues in New Zealand have recently investigated damage to the palmar aspect of the third metacarpal (McIII) condyle of equine athletes who have been subjected to repetitive overloading. This is known to lead to joint tissue damage, degeneration and stress fractures which can result in catastrophic failure. Third metacarpal bones from nonfractured joints of the


right forelimbs of 16 Thoroughbred racehorses aged 3–8 years, all with documented histories of active race training, were examined. Detailed microstructural analysis of the parasagittal grooves and the mid-condylar regions was performed and extensive levels of microdamage in the calcified cartilage and subchondral bone, concealed beneath hyaline cartilage which appeared intact from the outside, was found. Microdamage severity progressed from mild hard-tissue microcracking in younger animals to severe subchondral bone collapse and lesion formation in the hyaline cartilage as age, and therefore athletic activity, increased. The clearly distinguishable fibrous tissue layer at the articular surface immediately above sites of severe subchondral collapse suggested a limited reparative response in the hyaline cartilage.


Equine tendinopathy


In this review article, S. Dakin and colleagues from the Royal Veterinary College, UK, discuss the processes involved in the healing of tendon injuries in natural disease and experimental models.


Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon are an


important cause of morbidity and mortality in equine athletes, but the healing response is poorly understood. The role of inflammation in tendinopathy has also been contentious in the literature. In this review, the importance of inflammatory processes active in tendon disease is discussed in relation to recent findings in the horse. Although inflammation is necessary for debridement after injury, persistent inflammation is thought to promote fibrosis, understood to be an adverse consequence of tendon healing. The ability to resolve inflammation by the resident cell populations in tendons at an appropriate time would therefore be essential for successful outcome. This review also summarises new evidence for the importance of the resolution of inflammation following tendon injury. As many anti-inflammatory drugs suppress both inflammatory and resolving components of the inflammatory response, prolonged use of these drugs may be contraindicated as a therapeutic approach. The authors suggest that these findings have profound implications not only for current treatment strategies but also for the possibility of developing novel therapeutic approaches involving modulation of the inflammatory process.


S. WRIGHT EVE Editorial Office References


Dakin, S.G., Dudhia, J. and Smith, R.K. (2014) Resolving an inflammatory concept: the importance of inflammation and resolution in tendinopathy. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 158, 121-127.


Díaz, O.M., Durando, M.M., Birks, E.K. and Reef, V.B. (2014) Cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses with colic. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 245, 118-125.


Edner, A., Lindberg, L.-G., Broström, H. and Bergh, A. (2014) Does a magnetic blanket induce changes in muscular blood flow, skin temperature and muscular tension in horses? Equine Vet. J. Epub ahead of print DOI: 10.1111/evj.12291.


Halmer, C., Franken, K. and Licka, T. (2014) Correlation of electrocardiographic parameters (heart rate variability and heart rate) with Obel grading of pain of horses with laminitis. Pferdeheilkunde 30, 140-147.


Kelleher, M.E., Puchalski, S.M., Drake, C. and le Jeune, S.S. (2014) Use of digital abdominal radiography for the diagnosis of enterolithiasis in equids: 238 cases (2008-2011). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 245, 126-129.


Rettmer, H., Hoffman, A.M., Lanz, S., Oertly, M. and Gerber, V. (2014) Owner-reported coughing and nasal discharge are associated with clinical findings, arterial oxygen tension, mucus score and bronchoprovocation in horses with recurrent airway obstruction in a field setting. Equine Vet. J. Epub ahead of print DOI: 10.1111/evj.12286.


Turley, S.M., Thambyah, A., Riggs, C.M., Firth, E.C. and Broom, N.D. (2014) Microstructural changes in cartilage and bone related to repetitive overloading in an equine athlete model. J. Anat. 224, 647-658.


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