Histological tissue healing following high‐power laser treatment in a model of suspensory ligament branch injury

• DOI: 10.1111/evj.13556
• Publication Date: 2022-01-10T17:15:07Z
• Authors: Mathilde Pluim; Annabelle Heier; Saskia Plomp; Berit Boshuizen; Andrea Gröne; René van Weeren; Katrien Vanderperren; Ann Martens; Jeroen Dewulf; Ilias Chantziaras; Marc Koene; Antonio Luciani; Maarten Oosterlinck; Leen Van Brantegem; Cathérine Delesalle
• Keywords: Suspensory ligament; Haematoxylin; Immunostaining

High-power laser therapy gained popularity recently as a regenerative treatment for tendinitis and desmitis in the horse. However, studies evaluating effects of on tissue repair at histological level large mammals are lacking.To evaluate high-power suspensory healing, using model ligament branch injury.In vivo experiments.Standardised lesions were surgically induced all four lateral branches 12 healthy Warmblood horses. Laser (class 4, 15W) was applied daily two consecutive weeks. Horses randomly assigned to either short-term study (horses sacrificed after 4 weeks) or long-term (6 months). Suspensory samples scored staining with haematoxylin-eosin immunostaining collagen 1- 3- factor VIII.In study, significantly better (lower) scores variation density (17% above cut-off score treated vs. 31% controls, P = .03), shape nuclei (54% vs 92%, .02), fibre alignment (32% 75%, .003) structure (38% 71%, .02) found laser-treated when compared controls. Collagen 3 expression higher 19%, .006) control lesions. In both short- combined, parameters lesion size (44% 56%, (53% 84%, .05) Long-term, group (15% 45%, .008) percentage (27% 9%, controls.The injury is not an exact representation clinical overstrain lesions.These results suggest that enables healing than conservative treatment.