Here at Forward Equine, we are thrilled to regularly incorporate regenerative medicine into treatment options for our patients.
It is our goal, as a practice, to keep up with the latest developments in veterinary medicine. We want to be able to offer our patients the highest level of care that veterinary medicine has to offer. They deserve it!
We treat each patient individually to decide the best type of treatment for each one. We may also use a combination of treatments to get the best effect.
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Alpha2EQ- Forward Equine is one of the first practices in Wisconsin to acquire this system, which is an orthobiologic therapy alternative for horses with arthritis and joint damage. It was originally developed on the human side and recently brought over to equine medicine after the technique for processing it in a simple, stall-side procedure was developed. The active molecule is Alpha-2 Macroglobulin.
Alpha 2 Macroglobulin (α2M) inhibits all 4 classes of proteases, including the enzymes that breakdown joint cartilage. It inhibits these enzymes using a “trapping mechanism,” similar to the way a Venus fly trap captures its prey
ProStride- is a simple stallside preparation to concentrate a combination of anti-inflammatory and growth factors directly from your horse’s blood. The process involves centrifugation to separate whole blood to sequester white blood cells and platelets in a small fraction of plasma. The veterinarian then concentrates the separate blood components by a second centrifugation step, leaving a solution of white blood cells, platelets, and serum proteins that provides the anti-inflammatory mediators and the platelet-derived growth factors. ProStride is thought to help repair the tissues lining and within the joint, specifically soft tissue structures such as the synovial lining, the meniscus, etc…
PRP- Platelet-rich plasma- involves concentrating the platelets from your horse’s blood into a small amount of the plasma. Platelets are the body’s first defense against trauma and congregate anywhere there is bleeding and start the repair process. They contain alpha-granules, which are small packets of over 300 different proteins involved in healing. By concentrating the platelets into a small volume and injecting them back into the horse, typically into tendon or ligament injuries, we are able to harness that healing ability where your horse needs extra help. Because platelets are cell fragments, they are also good at making a scaffolding or framework for healing in areas of damaged tendons or ligaments.
Stem Cells- Mesenchymal stems cells are adult stem cells that can direct regeneration and repair of damaged tissue. We can either use your horse's stem cells, usually collected from the sternum, or in some cases we use stem cells that have been specially prepared from another horse. Stem cells act as conductors to the healing process - they direct what needs to go where and can recruit healing factors from far and wide to a point of injury. They are especially helpful in serious soft tissue injuries such as a meniscus tear or a sudden and serious injury to a suspensory ligament.
Noltrex- a is polyacrylamide gel that is incorporated into the synovial lining, or the joint capsule. The joint capsule is the sac around the two or more bones of the joint and also becomes thick and inflexible as part of joint disease. The cells of the joint lining, the synoviocytes, are responsible for secreting all of the joint fluid and maintaining a healthy joint environment. When there is damage to a joint, even just mild arthritic changes, it affects the synoviocytes and changes what they are secreting. Noltrex helps patch any areas that are thin or damaged and helps restore they synoviocytes to health so that they can secrete the appropriate nutrients to create a healthy joint environment. This in turn benefits the cartilage and makes the horse feel better. We will often use this in tandem after using another treatment to first to decrease the inflammation within the joint so we get the maximum benefit from the Noltrex.
Steroid- Historically, a typical “joint injection” consists of a combination of hyaluronic and steroid. The steroid is an anti-inflammatory medication that is able to temporarily stop the inflammation within the joint. Hyaluronic acid provides lubrication and cartilage nutrition and works very well in combination with a steroid at controlling a horse’s pain. Steroids have a risk of side-effects, including founder in certain populations of horses, as well as damage to the cartilage through ongoing use. They are also not compatible with many organization’s rules for competition.
If your animals are having trouble healing, need better options for joint injections, or are suffering from a soft-tissue injury, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (920) 851-3545.