The effects of a synthetic epidermis spray on secondary intention wound healing in adult horses.
Authors: Charlotte C Paindaveine, Benoit Bihin, Olivier M Lepage
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Equine distal limb wounds managed by secondary intention healing frequently develop exuberant granulation tissue, which prolongs healing and complicates clinical management. Paindaveine and colleagues compared a synthetic epidermis spray (Novacika®) against standard bandaging in six Standardbred mares, creating 24 full-thickness skin wounds (2.5 × 2.5 cm) on the cannon bone and fetlock regions and monitoring healing every four days using 3D imaging analysis over the treatment period. The spray-treated wounds healed in equivalent timeframes to bandaged wounds, yet crucially prevented the development of exuberant granulation tissue that affected 22 of 46 bandaged wounds—a clinically significant finding for reducing secondary complications. Whilst healing duration remained unchanged, the elimination of excessive granulation tissue formation offers meaningful advantages for practitioners managing equine limb wounds, particularly regarding reduced wound care burden and improved cosmetic outcomes; however, the modest sample size necessitates cautious interpretation of these findings pending larger-scale validation. For farriers, veterinarians and equine physiotherapists, this represents a potentially valuable non-invasive alternative to conventional bandaging protocols, especially where repeated dressing changes present practical or economic constraints.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Synthetic epidermis spray offers a practical alternative to bandaging for distal limb wounds, potentially reducing owner burden while preventing excessive proud flesh formation.
- •If prevention of exuberant granulation tissue is your goal, this spray may be worth trialing on non-infected superficial wounds, though healing speed is unchanged.
- •Results are preliminary in a small group; individual horse responses may vary, so monitor early outcomes before committing to this approach for all your secondary intention wounds.
Key Findings
- •Synthetic epidermis spray prevented exuberant granulation tissue formation in wounds, whereas 48% (22/46) of standard bandaged wounds developed exuberant granulation tissue.
- •Median wound healing time was equivalent between synthetic epidermis spray and standard bandaging groups despite differences in granulation tissue formation.
- •Treatment was applied 6 hours post-wounding on standardized 2.5×2.5 cm full-thickness wounds on cannon bone and fetlock regions.
- •Study had small sample size (n=6) limiting statistical power; p-values require cautious interpretation.