Biomechanics of Wound Healing in an Equine Limb Model: Effect of Location and Treatment with a Peptide-Modified Collagen-Chitosan Hydrogel.
Authors: Sparks, Sigaeva, Tarraf, Mandla, Pope, Hee, Di Martino, Biernaskie, Radisic, Scott
Journal: ACS biomaterials science & engineering
Summary
Equine distal limb wounds present a clinical challenge due to delayed re-epithelialisation and excessive fibroproliferation that mirrors aberrant human wound healing, making horses valuable translational models for testing novel biomaterials. Researchers developed a biaxial biomechanical testing protocol to evaluate functional outcomes of healed wounds and discovered critical anatomical variations: medial skin was significantly thicker with earlier collagen engagement, medial wounds contracted more substantially during closure, and proximal locations produced exuberant granulation tissue—findings that have important implications for standardising this model in future research. When a peptide-modified collagen-chitosan hydrogel incorporating the QHREDGS peptide sequence was applied as a single treatment, wounds closed at an accelerated rate and the resulting tissue demonstrated improved biomechanical compliance compared to untreated controls, without adverse effects. For practitioners managing problem wounds in the equine limb, particularly in predisposed locations, this work suggests that strategic biomaterial intervention can favourably influence both healing kinetics and tissue quality, potentially reducing the chronic fibroproliferative complications commonly seen in these cases. The study's emphasis on location-specific wound behaviour also underscores the importance of tailored treatment protocols rather than one-size-fits-all approaches to equine wound management.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Wound location on the distal limb significantly affects healing outcomes—medial wounds close differently than lateral wounds and proximal wounds produce more granulation tissue, requiring location-specific management strategies
- •Peptide-modified collagen-chitosan hydrogel shows promise as a single-application treatment to accelerate wound closure and improve tissue quality in equine distal limb wounds without adverse effects
- •This large animal model demonstrates a translatable approach to wound management relevant to both veterinary and human medicine, supporting consideration of hydrogel-based treatments in equine practice
Key Findings
- •Medial skin on equine distal limbs is thicker with earlier collagen engagement compared to lateral skin
- •Medial wounds experienced greater wound contraction during closure while proximal wounds produced significantly more exuberant granulation tissue
- •Single treatment with Q-peptide (QHREDGS peptide-modified collagen-chitosan) hydrogel resulted in higher rate of wound closure
- •Q-peptide hydrogel modulated biomechanical function toward more compliant healed tissue without negative effects