Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine in Sport and Companion Animals: Therapeutic Ultrasound.
Authors: Boström Anna, Asplund Kjell, Bergh Anna, Hyytiäinen Heli
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Therapeutic Ultrasound in Equine and Companion Animal Practice: What Does the Evidence Actually Tell Us? Researchers from Sweden and Finland systematically reviewed all available scientific literature on therapeutic ultrasound (TU) published between 1980 and 2020 across dogs, horses, donkeys, and cats, critically appraising study quality to establish what evidence truly supports its clinical use. The review identified 24 canine studies, 9 equine studies, 2 donkey studies, and 1 feline study, with most treatment protocols involving 2–6 weekly sessions over up to 4 weeks, primarily targeting tendon, ligament, and bone healing alongside various arthritic and neuromuscular conditions. Whilst continuous ultrasound reliably increases tissue temperature in muscles and tendons by up to 5°C in healthy animals—a well-established thermal effect—the clinical evidence for treating actual musculoskeletal disorders in sport and companion animals remains insufficient due to widespread methodological flaws in existing research. The one exception is experimental bone lesions in dogs, where moderate evidence supports enhanced healing, though this translates poorly to clinical application in other tissues or conditions. For equine practitioners and farriers considering TU for tendon injuries, ligamentous damage, osteoarthritis, or back pain, the current evidence base does not justify routine clinical use; rigorous, well-designed studies with appropriate controls and validated outcome measures are needed before confidently recommending this modality to clients.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Therapeutic ultrasound may increase tissue temperature therapeutically but lacks sufficient clinical evidence to support its use for musculoskeletal disorders in equine patients
- •While experimental bone healing shows promise in dogs, translation to clinical equine practice is not yet supported by adequate scientific evidence
- •Current evidence does not support recommending therapeutic ultrasound as a primary treatment for tendon, ligament, or joint conditions in sport horses based on this systematic review
Key Findings
- •Moderate scientific evidence exists for enhanced healing in experimental bone lesions in dogs
- •Continuous therapeutic ultrasound increases tissue temperature in muscles and tendons by up to 5°C in healthy animals with substantial evidence
- •Insufficient scientific evidence for clinical effects of therapeutic ultrasound in treating tendon, ligament, muscle, and joint disorders in sport and companion animals due to high risk of bias
- •24 relevant articles on dogs, 9 on horses, 2 on donkeys, and 1 on cats were identified with typical treatment protocols of 2-6 sessions weekly for up to 4 weeks