Tiludronate effective for bone spavin
Tiludronate effective for bone spavin Often both hind legs are affected to some extent. Horses with straight or sickle-shaped hocks seem to be at greater risk of developing the condition. Horses suffering lameness due to bone spavin can show marked improvement following treatment with a tiludronate infusion, in combination with controlled exercise, according to recent research. Bone spavin is a chronic osteoarthritis of the lower hock joints. It is considered to be one of the most common causes of hindlimb lameness in horses and ponies - and may be responsible for up to a third of all such cases. |  |
There is little movement between the lower rows of bones in the hock. However these joints are subjected to considerable compressive forces. This can lead to degenerative changes within the bone and destruction of the joint cartilage
In a paper published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, Dr Martin Gough and others describe a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 108 clinical cases of bone spavin. The trial was performed at thirteen investigation centres in the UK and Ireland.
Pleasure horses, show jumpers and eventers of a variety of sizes and breeds, all of which had been clinically diagnosed with bone spavin, were enrolled in the study. The horses were rigorously selected, having to show clinical signs of spontaneous lameness of at least six weeks but less than a year's duration and had to be in daily exercise. Horses suffering proximal suspensory desmitis were excluded.
Horses were defined as suffering from bone spavin if they displayed a chronic hindlimb lameness which improved with distal tarsal joint analgesia and showed radiographic evidence of bony changes consistent with bone spavin in the distal tarsal joints.
The horses were treated at day zero with a single tiludronate infusion or a placebo and reassessed 60 days later after a period of controlled exercise.
Eighty seven horses completed the trials: 42 tiludronate treated horses and 45 placebo cases. By day 60 approximately 60% of the Tiludronate treated horses had improved in lameness by two grades or more, scored on a ten point system.
Bone is a very dynamic tissue, constantly being formed and resorbed throughout a horse's life. In the healthy adult skeleton the rate of bone turnover is balanced. New bone is formed by cells called osteoblasts; while cells called osteoclasts are involved in resorbing bone.
If the balance between bone formation and resorption is disturbed, disease can occur. Horses with bone spavin experience abnormal bone remodeling changes, occasionally with excessive bone resorption in the tarsal bones.
Tiludronate is a bisphosphonate - a bone metabolism regulator - which inhibits bone resorption. It acts by inhibiting osteoclasts. Osteoclast activity is thought to be painful - so blocking it should reduce the pain.
Tiludronate is believed to work by slowing down the degradation of the bone structure when the condition is progressing and alleviating the pain associated with abnormal bone lysis.
For more details see:
Tiludronate infusion in the treatment of bone spavin: A double blind placebo-controlled trial.
MR Gough, D Thibaud, RKW Smith
Equine Vet J (2010) 42, 381 - 387
This research was funded by CEVA Animal Health, manufacturers of Tildren®. For more information visit the website:
www.tildren.com
Added on: 05/10/10.
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