What’s New in Equine Orthobiologics?

 Understanding this exciting yet complex field of regenerative medicine

The idea, of course, is brilliant: Collect, enhance, and reintroduce horses’ own natural healing powers, so they can heal better.

Such is the concept behind orthobiologics—the use of biological products such as stem cells and blood components to treat damaged musculoskeletal systems. It merges orthopedics—the branch of medicine concerned with the skeleton and associated structures, such as tendons and ligaments—and biologics, which in this context are naturally derived substances with healing properties.

Despite its growing popularity, the field of orthobiologics remains fraught with confusion, contradiction, and questions. Fortunately, researchers are addressing those issues relentlessly, having published nearly 100 studies and reviews in the past year. Our sources share updates from the equine world to help you understand these therapies.

Mother Nature’s Sustainable Regenerators

Musculoskeletal injuries heal with scar tissue, which is tough, rigid, and inferior to the more malleable tissue the horse once had, says Maarten Oosterlinck, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVSMR, ECVS, of the Department of Large Animal Surgery, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics at Ghent University, in Belgium.

The initial idea behind orthobiologics was they would regenerate tissue that’s more like the original—hence the term regenerative medicine, he says.

The latest research suggests orthobiologics don’t copy original tissue that leads to scar-free healing. However, they do seem to have a remarkable capacity to stop disease progression while reconstructing tissue in a more usable, elastic, and sustainable way, says Lauren Schnabel, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, associate professor of equine orthopedic surgery at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, in Raleigh.

“We’ve shown in studies … that the tendon healing you get is superior to those not treated with orthobiologics, because you get more normal tissue (with) more normal functional properties that are less prone to re-injury,” she says.

Orthobiologics harness the body’s natural defense mechanisms and antimicrobial properties, with reduced side effects compared to traditional pharmaceutical products, Schnabel explains. “It’s really taking what already happens naturally in the body and sort of magnifying it or making it optimal,” she says.

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