Published: Animals (Basel). 2020 Jul 31;10(8):1327. PMID: 32751968 PMCID: PMC7459490 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081327
Keyword: high intensity laser therapy; horse; physiotherapy; ultrasound
Author(s): Paulina Zielińska, Jakub Nicpoń, Zdzisław Kiełbowicz, Maria Soroko, Krzysztof Dudek, Daniel Zaborski
Overview: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high intensity laser therapy (HILT) on tendon and ligament injury treatment in horses.
Materials/Methods:
-
Twenty-six horses with tendinopathies were randomly assigned to a HILT treated or to a non-treated group.
-
Each horse was subjected to the same rehabilitation program.
-
Horses from the treatment group underwent a series of fifteen HILT treatments with the same parameters.
-
Clinical and ultrasound assessments were performed by the same veterinarian and were carried out before (day 0), during (day 13-15) and after treatment (day 38-40).
-
Clinical evaluation included: pain, swelling and lameness of the affected limb.
-
The ultrasound examination evaluated lesion echogenicity and lesion percentage.
Results:
-
After the treatment, pain, swelling and lameness were significantly improved by HILT compared with the control group (p = 0.023, 0.008 and 0.044, respectively).
-
No significant changes were found in lesion echogenicity degree between both groups in measurements taken during treatment (p = 0.188) and after treatment (p = 0.070).
-
For lesion percentage reduction, the statistical modelling showed a significant improvement in the HILT group compared with the control group during (p = 0.038) and after treatment (p = 0.019).
Conclusions: In conclusion, HILT promoted analgesic and anti-edema effects, with visual lameness reduction in horses with tendon and ligament injuries, and reduced lesion percentage but did not influence change in lesion echogenicity.