For horse owners, tendon and ligament injuries can be some of the most frustrating conditions to manage. Recovery is often measured in months, reinjury is common, and even with careful rehabilitation, some horses never return to their previous level of performance.
Now, a new technology available at the Michigan State University Veterinary Medical Center is offering another option for horses whose injuries have failed to heal as expected.
Tenex is a minimally invasive procedure, originally developed for human patients at the Mayo Clinic and now being adapted for use in equine medicine. Michigan State University is among only a handful of veterinary hospitals in the United States currently offering the technology.
“Sometimes, tendon and ligament injuries don’t heal completely or with properly organized fibers,” says Dr. Virginia Melly, an assistant professor in large animal surgery. “That abnormal tissue can contribute to persistent inflammation, pain, and delayed or incomplete healing.”
Using ultrasound guidance, veterinarians insert a specialized instrument through a tiny incision to precisely target damaged tissue within a tendon or ligament. The device uses ultrasonic energy to break apart and remove unhealthy tissue while preserving the surrounding healthy structures.
"The advantage is that we're able to reach areas that would be difficult or impossible to access surgically," Melly explains. "We're removing the tissue that isn't healing properly while causing very little disruption to the healthy tissue around it."
While general anesthesia is sometimes required, the procedure can often be done under sedation, with the horse standing. In those cases, the horse can usually return home the same day.
Source : msu.edu