Using Short Term of High Power Laser Therapy in Horse's Tendon Injuries.
Authors: S. Jaafar, A. A. H. Al-Bayti, S. Abdullah
Journal: Archives of Razi Institute
Summary
# Editorial Summary: High-Power Laser Therapy for Equine Tendon Injuries Whilst high-power laser therapy has gained popularity in equine sports medicine, rigorous clinical evidence supporting its use remains limited. Researchers evaluated 50 racing horses (aged 5–15 years) presenting with superficial digital flexor tendon, deep digital flexor tendon, or suspensory ligament injuries across front and hind limbs, treating them with high-power laser (15,000 MW output) and assessing outcomes via lameness grading and ultrasonography at week 2 and week 6 post-treatment. All treated horses demonstrated clinically significant improvements in both ultrasound scores and lameness grades, with progressive correlation observed between reduced lameness and restoration of normal tendon tissue architecture, functional recovery at rest and during trotting, and return to competitive work. The absence of treatment-related complications across the cohort, combined with the objective imaging improvements, suggests high-power laser may represent a viable adjunctive modality for managing common tendon injuries in athletic horses. Practitioners should recognise this as a promising short-term intervention; however, comparative studies against conventional rehabilitation protocols and longer-term follow-up data would strengthen confidence in clinical application and help define optimal patient selection and treatment protocols.
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Practical Takeaways
- •High-power laser therapy may offer a rapid pain reduction option for acute tendon injuries, with observable improvement within 2 weeks of treatment
- •Consider laser therapy as a non-invasive complement to conventional tendon injury protocols, though outcomes should be verified with ultrasound imaging
- •Further controlled trials are needed to establish standardized treatment parameters and compare efficacy against conventional rehabilitation before widespread clinical adoption
Key Findings
- •High-power laser therapy (15000 MW) produced significant improvements in lameness grades by week 2 post-treatment in 50 racing horses with tendon injuries
- •Ultrasound scores showed progressive improvement from week 2 to week 6 following laser treatment
- •Treated horses demonstrated return to normal tendon tissue morphology and functional capacity at rest, trot, and competition levels
- •No adverse effects or complications were reported from high-power laser therapy application