| Lamenss > Stem Cell Therapy
The recent advent of commercially available stem cell therapy opens the door to wonderful possibilities for treating injuries to tendons, degenerative joint disease, and some bone disorders. What once were career- or life-ending injuries now have the potential to heal using stem cells.
Early studies show great potential for this therapy such as stronger, faster tendon healing, repair of some osteochondrosis lesions, and possible uses even in severe degenerative joint disease.
By using a horse's own cells, some of the concerning side effects, such as tissue rejection, are eliminated. The procedure involves harvesting a small piece of the injured horse's fat (from the hindquarters), sending it to the VetStem lab for processing, and injecting it into the lesion 2-3 days later.
The fluid injected into a tendon core lesion, for example, contains that horse's own stem cells which will become the fibrous cells that make up the tendon and inflammatory mediating substances produced by the body. While this treatment is expensive, the benefits in healing and return to performance far out weigh the cost in the long run.
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