b'YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2017 AAEP CONVENTION SPONSORED BYlamellae require a substantial amount of glucose to function properly. An lead to failure due to lack of energy.Van Eps said more research is needed Laminitis:inadequate blood glucose supply could to fully understand the relationship researchers have recently revealed that the limb-loading cycleweight-shifting Were Stillbetween limb-load and perfusion, but flow significantly. Vasodilators (drugs that dilate vessels and increase blood flow) Learning or walkingincreases lamellar blood dont appear to have the same effects, he added. These studies showed that the act of walking had a marked positive effect on lamellar perfusion and interstitial (within the tissues) glucose concentrations, van Eps said, more so than just repeated unloading of the limb in a standing horse, indicating that the weight-bearing phase itselfand perhaps the movement of the limb associated with breakover (at the PAULA DA SILVA toe when the heel lifts off the ground)may play an important role in lamellar Mechanical overload of the lamellarperfusion.ERICA LARSONtissue. This theory is hard to swal- Overall, he said, recent research is The Latest on Supporting-Limblow, however, because the limbs areproviding additional evidence suggesting Laminitissubjected to substantial forces whenischemia plays a role in SLL development.baros death due to supporting-limbtheory, however, lamellar remodeling inloading and unloading of the feet play an S ince Kentucky Derby winner Bar- the horse moves, said van Eps. InSLL Prevention It seems that cyclic laminitis (SLL) more than a decaderesponse to prolonged stress could playessential role in keeping the hoof func-ago, researchers have made great stridesa role in structural failure, he said. tioning properly, van Eps said. Lack of blood supply (ischemia)in understanding laminitis (inflammation. WhenA fitness tracker with an accelerometer of the horses laminae, which suspenda foot is bearing weight, as it would be(e.g., a Fitbit) might be useful for moni-the coffin bone within the hoof), why itwith an injured leg on the opposite side,toring limb-loading cycles, he said. develops, how to treat it, and more. An- theres an interruption in perfusionEncouraging patients to walk could drew van Eps, BVSc, PhD, MACVSc, Dipl.(blood flow), van Eps said. The degreehelp promote limb-loading in cases that ACVIM, an associate professor of equineof interruption varies between horses.arent too painful. musculoskeletal research at the Universi- Additionally, blood flow in the palmarUsing a sling to reduce the load on ty of Pennsylvanias School of Veterinarydigital artery decreases during weight- the opposite limb could be effective with Medicine, in Kennett Square, reviewedbearing, he said. This lack of blood flowthe development of newer dynamic sling veterinarians current understanding ofcould also lead to structural failure. technology; traditional slings have notSLL and what remains to be learned. Further, researchers know that thebeen useful for this purpose. Despite significant recent advances inResearchers have also explored forced our ability to treat complicated fracturesrecumbency (creating a lowered ceiling and other painful limb conditions into keep the horse lying down) to unload horses, supporting-limb laminitis remainsthe opposite limb. This approach should a primary limiting factor to treating thesebe used carefully, however. Research has cases, he said. Although the severity andshown that horses that are recumbent for duration of lameness are considered riskMegan Tracy Petty long periods can develop complications.factors, the development of SLL is still@meganmarysiaWhile cryotherapy (icing the feet) has unpredictable, both in terms of timing#HotTopics today. Horsebeen shown to benefit horses at risk of and also with respect to which cases willowners should be verydeveloping sepsis-related laminitis, van succumb to it. proud of the veterinariansEps said he hasnt yet studied whether it Possible mechanisms for SLL develop- on their team. These folkscould help prevent SLL, but it would be ment, he said, include: are brilliant. Well donean interesting area to look at.A22 TheHorse.com/AAEP2017 AAEP Wrap-Up THE HORSEMarch 2018'