A Case Series of 11 Horses Diagnosed with Bone Spavin Treated with High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT).
Authors: Zielińska Paulina, Śniegucka Karolina, Kiełbowicz Zdzisław
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: High Intensity Laser Therapy for Equine Bone Spavin Bone spavin represents a significant cause of hind limb lameness in working horses, and treatment options beyond intra-articular medication remain limited. Researchers in this case series treated 11 horses with confirmed tarsometatarsal osteoarthritis using high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) as a standalone intervention, delivering 10 sessions over a 14-day protocol to assess changes in lameness grades and flexion test responses. Three-quarters of the treated horses demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement, with 36% improving by two lameness grades, 36% by one grade, and notably three horses becoming completely sound; however, response to the spavin flexion test was more variable, with only 45% showing improvement and none achieving soundness on this specific test. Whilst these results suggest HILT may reduce joint pain and associated lameness in bone spavin cases, the case series format, modest sample size, and lack of control group mean findings should be interpreted cautiously and warrant further investigation through randomised controlled trials. For equine professionals, HILT could represent a non-invasive adjunctive or alternative option in cases where conventional treatments have been exhausted or are contraindicated, though individual responses are clearly heterogeneous and pre-treatment selection criteria warrant further refinement.
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Practical Takeaways
- •HILT as monotherapy for bone spavin can reduce lameness in approximately 7 out of 10 affected horses, with some achieving complete soundness
- •Treatment protocol of 10 sessions over 14 days appears effective for pain management in tarsal osteoarthritis, though spavin test improvement is less consistent than lameness improvement
- •HILT may be considered as a non-invasive alternative or adjunct therapy for chronic bone spavin when horses have failed or are unsuitable for other treatments
Key Findings
- •72% of horses (8/11) showed improvement of 1-2 lameness grades after 10 HILT treatments over 14 days
- •36% of horses (4/11) improved by 2 lameness grades and 36% (4/11) improved by 1 lameness grade on the 5-grade AAEP scale
- •45% of horses (5/11) showed improvement in spavin flexion test results post-treatment
- •3 horses became totally sound after HILT treatment, suggesting pain reduction may influence lameness resolution