High-Power Laser Therapy Improves Healing of the Equine Suspensory Branch in a Standardized Lesion Model.
Authors: Pluim Mathilde, Martens Ann, Vanderperren Katrien, van Weeren René, Oosterlinck Maarten, Dewulf Jeroen, Kichouh Mimoun, Van Thielen Bert, Koene Marc H W, Luciani Antonio, Plancke Lukas, Delesalle Cathérine
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary This rigorous controlled trial tested whether multi-frequency high-power laser therapy could accelerate healing in equine suspensory branch lesions by creating standardised injuries in 12 warmblood horses and treating half of each horse's four lesioned branches daily for four weeks, with ultrasonographic and MRI assessment at 4 weeks and 6 months post-injury. Laser-treated branches demonstrated significantly smaller transverse lesion size at 2- and 3-months follow-up, with substantially less expansion of lesion cross-sectional area compared to untreated controls in the short-term group; moreover, treated lesions showed markedly increased colour Doppler signals during the treatment period, suggesting enhanced local blood flow. At necropsy examination using high-field MRI, both short- and long-term treatment groups exhibited significantly smaller lesion cross-sectional areas and lower signal intensity than controls, indicating improved tissue organisation and reduced oedema. For practitioners managing suspensory branch injuries—a notoriously slow-healing structure—these findings provide the first controlled evidence that multi-frequency high-power laser therapy meaningfully accelerates the healing response, potentially shortening rehabilitation timeframes and improving functional outcomes in sport horses, though the clinical translation of these standardised lesion results warrants further investigation in natural cases.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •High-power laser therapy appears effective for suspensory branch injuries, with measurable improvements in lesion size and healing markers within 4 weeks of treatment
- •Daily laser treatment during the acute phase may limit pathological expansion of ligament lesions, potentially improving long-term outcomes
- •Increased blood flow detected during laser treatment suggests the mechanism may involve enhanced vascularization and tissue perfusion to support healing
Key Findings
- •High-power laser therapy significantly reduced transverse lesion size at 2 and 3 months post-treatment (p = 0.026 and p = 0.015)
- •Laser-treated lesions showed significantly smaller cross-sectional area (CSA) on both ultrasound short-term and long-term (p = 0.016 and p = 0.010)
- •Treated lesions demonstrated significantly increased Doppler signal during treatment (p < 0.001), indicating enhanced vascularization
- •MRI evaluation at necropsy confirmed significantly smaller lesion CSA (p = 0.002) and lower signal intensity (p = 0.006) in treated groups at both time points