Little update on my boy (stem cell therapy - tendon injury)

[longtalltilly]

Those of you that will remember 3 months ago my chap underwent stem cell therapy to treat a larg core lesion in his SDFT. Yesterday wass his first scan since all this. We have gone through weeks of box rest, restricted turnout and leading in hand (now up to half an hour a day)

The scan showed that the cells have started to form into tendonous fibres although are yet to knit together and form the tendon like appearance. You can still see a noticible difference in the 'real' tendon fibre and the stem cell, but the hole was very large in the first place so its going to take time! (had a different vet and even she was shocked at the size of it in the first place) looking back at the scan pictures makes me realise this!

Any way we now have another 3 months of restricted turnout (although the size can be increased) and inhand walking for half an hour each day.

So in all positive that its healing

 

[PippiPony]

Great news, pleased to hear it. it makes the effort so worth while when you can see real progress like that

 

[longtalltilly]

It is worth it, and given the extent of the damage Im glad I opted for the treatment I was offered!

 

[Tacita]

so interested in this, i did my dissertation at uni on the effects of stem cell therapy on tendon injuries as i had a horse that had lesions to both SDFT tendons and had to have 7 months box rest and that was just before the stem cell therapy had really began. My horse did recover with HUGE lesions to novice eventing after 2 yrs recovery. It took a whole year of slow and very tedious work which seemed endless and i was unsure i would ever get there! but the day i went out the start box and crossed that finish line on him was a momentous day and def a fab memory so keep with it

 

[longtalltilly]

Thank you for that Monami - thats giving me hope!

 

[Tacita]

definately do its so frustrating and i got so upset at times seeing everyone else going to comps every weekend and he bless him started to go mad in the box with people loading up in the yard that we ended up having to make people load up behind the yard as he got so jealous not going in the box! believe me its not easy and i had many many emotional traumas throughout it so i know what your going through. You will however be so glad when the D day comes of getting back on! prepare for some wild child moments mine had pent up alot of frustration but was worse walking in hand than when i finally could get on. I remember now me and my poor amazing friend that walked him half an hour everyday round the fields or menage in the bleak winter for 3 months with a minors lamp to see where we were going! lol!