Regenerative Medicine and Rehabilitation for Tendinous and Ligamentous Injuries in Sport Horses

Abstract

Tendon and ligament injuries are a common source of lameness in the athletic horse. Although tendons and ligaments have the ability to spontaneously heal, lesions tend to fill with biomechanically inferior fibrous tissue such that the horse is prone to reinjury. Regenerative medicine is used to improve quality of repair tissue and prevent reinjury. Platelet-rich plasma, stem cells, and autologous conditioned serum are the most commonly used orthobiologics in the horse. A tailored rehabilitation program is key to returning horses to athleticism following injury. The specifics of regenerative medicine and rehabilitation for tendonitis and desmitis in the horse are discussed.