Lymphedema in both horses and humans is caused by the accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the body, often in the legs. The fluid is usually drained by the lymphatic system, but lymphedema prevents this drainage.
This condition can increase the risk of skin infections and sepsis as skin folds develop from the swelling. Affected horses typically develop the condition when they are young; as the disease progresses, the horse becomes disfigured and lame. Lymphedema can cause secondary infections in addition to lameness, and may eventually lead to death.
Draft breeds are primarily affected, but the cause of the disease is unknown. Horses in particular are at risk of lymphedema as they have minimal muscling on their lower limbs and muscle contraction is what circulates lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. Treatment often includes the use of cold water, bandaging, and encouraging movement.
Dr. Drew Koch and researchers from North Carolina State University took technology used for humans suffering from lymphedema and applied it to horses with the same condition. In humans, a pneumatic compression device is often applied to the legs that moves the fluid up the limbs to the lymph nodes.
The scientists worked closely with manufacturers of the human-grade devices to create the EQ Press. To test its efficacy, the researchers injected the front leg coronary bands of six healthy Thoroughbreds with a tracer isotope, which is taken up and excreted through the lymphatic system.
A special camera followed the isotope's movement through the lymphatic system and into an upper-limb lymph node. Each horse underwent this procedure twice, once without wearing the EQ Press and once while wearing the EQ Press.
The horses wearing the device showed the isotope moving into the upper-limb lymph node within an hour; only one horse not wearing the EQ Press had the isotope move into the lymph node in that same amount of time.
The researchers determined that horses wearing the EQ Press had significantly accelerated lymphatic flow compared to horses not wearing the device. More research is needed to test the device on horses that have lymphedema.
Read more at Equine Science Update.
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