b'Helping HorsesSELF-HEALSTACEY OKE, DVM, MSCR egenerative therapy is an umbrella term encompassing any method that encourages the body to self-heal. Because it is drawing on its own properties, healing tissue more closely resembles native tissue than weak, disorganized scar tissue typically seen post-injury. The goal is to allow restoration of normal function and structure of the injured tissue to allow horses to perform at their previous level, whatever that might be, with a reduced risk of rein-jury, says Kyla Ortved, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, assistant professor of large animal surgery at the University of Pennsylvanias New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square. She says the three main components of regenerative medicine that help tis-sues self-heal include: 1. A scaffold upon which tissues can regenerate;2.Cells of the specific tissue type in need of repair or cells that help direct repair through signaling; and3. Bioactive signals/inflammatory mediators that direct the flow of traffic during the repair process. A specific therapy may incorporate some or all three of these components, says Ortved. Due to the regenerative therapy industrys popularity and continued growth, many articles weve published review recent laboratory studies about stem cell production and data on efficacy and safety (you can find them at TheHorse.com/topics/regenerative-medicine). Here, well review the basics of three regenerative modalities commonly used in equine medicine and when veterinar-ians and horse owners might consider each. 10May 2020The Horse|TheHorse.com'