Limb wounds in horses are common and are notoriously difficult to treat due to their slow healing rate and the frequent occurrence of healing complications such as infection and exuberant granulation tissue formation. Consequently, limb wounds cause significant animal suffering, as well as representing a heavy economic and emotional burden to the owner. To date, no simple and easy treatment protocol for complicated limb wounds is available to the equine practitioner under field conditions. The objective of this project is to develop a new treatment strategy aimed at enhancing wound contraction, thereby greatly accelerating healing time of limb wounds in horses as well as obtaining a more functional end-result, for use under field conditions. In the first part of our study, we are investigating the contractile ability of fibroblasts harvested from different layers of the skin. Preliminary results are promising, where we so far have found significant differences in contraction potential of skin cells from the different dermal layers. The second part of the project aims at developing this knowledge into a feasible treatment for limb wounds in horses.
Limb wounds in horses are common, however healing is exceedingly slow and fraught with complications. Contrary to body wounds, limb wounds demonstrate only a small amount of wound contraction. The specialist procedure of applying split-thickness skin grafts to limb wounds stimulates wound contraction by unknown mechanisms. The objective of this project is to identify those mechanisms to develop a treatment strategy for equine limb wounds for use in general practice. Limb wounds are severely impacting animal welfare due to an extended healing/treatment duration, and the risk of euthanasia due to a poor functional outcome. By stimulating wound contraction, healing time will be reduced, and the functional outcome improved, directly benefitting the welfare of wounded horse and reducing treatment cost for the owner. Aim: To identify dermal components stimulating wound contraction, and to develop this knowledge into future state-of-the-art treatment of equine limb wounds for use in general practice. Hypotheses: i) Application of dermal fractions to collagen gels seeded with equine fibroblasts will increase gel contraction in vitro; ii) Application of dermal fractions to experimental limb wounds in vivo, will increase wound contraction resulting in a faster healing time versus wounds treated by conventional methods. Methods: i) The contractile effect of different dermal components will be assessed in a collagen gel/ fibroblast model; ii) Identified dermal components will be tested in a standardized experimental limb wound model in vivo (n=5). Ultimately, results from this project are expected to improve wound treatment in horses, directly impacting animal welfare by reducing healing time and improving the functional outcome of wounded horses. This will also directly benefit horse owners and caretakers and making veterinarians able to offer better treatment solutions.
