Autologous bone marrow aspirate for treatment of superficial digital flexor tendonitis in 105 racehorses.
Authors: Russell J W, Russell T M, Vasey J R, Hall M S
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Autologous Bone Marrow Aspirate for Superficial Digital Flexor Tendonitis Superficial digital flexor tendonitis remains a career-threatening injury in racehorses, prompting investigation into regenerative medicine approaches. Russell and colleagues retrospectively analysed 105 Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses treated with intralesional autologous bone marrow aspirate harvested from the sternebrae, with some animals also receiving accessory ligament desmotomy (DAL-SDFT). Return-to-racing rates were encouraging: 82% of Thoroughbreds and 76% of Standardbreds started racing again during follow-up, with 59% and 62% respectively achieving five or more starts—figures that suggest meaningful functional recovery rather than token racing. Notably, the addition of DAL-SDFT to the treatment protocol did not significantly improve outcomes, questioning whether the surgical component adds clinical value to ABMA therapy alone. These findings support the use of intralesional bone marrow aspirate for core lesions within the SDF tendon body, though practitioners should note that female racehorses showed significantly lower return-to-racing rates than males, warranting further investigation into sex-dependent factors influencing prognosis.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Intralesional autologous bone marrow aspirate injection is a viable treatment option for SDF tendonitis in racehorses, with approximately 3 in 4 horses returning to competition
- •Accessory ligament desmotomy does not appear to enhance outcomes when combined with ABMA injection, allowing practitioners to simplify treatment protocols and reduce surgical morbidity
- •Sex-based differences in return-to-racing rates warrant further investigation and may influence client counselling and prognosis discussions
Key Findings
- •82% of Thoroughbreds and 76% of Standardbreds returned to racing (≥1 start) after ABMA treatment for SDF tendonitis
- •59% of Thoroughbreds and 62% of Standardbreds achieved five or more starts post-treatment
- •Female racehorses had significantly fewer race starts than males following treatment (P=0.017 for ≥1 start, P=0.008 for ≥5 starts)
- •Addition of desmotomy of the accessory ligament (DAL-SDFT) to ABMA injection did not significantly improve return-to-racing outcomes (P=0.31 and P=0.63)