Results of Tildren on Bone Scan?????

[merlinsquest]

Would anyone know if Tildren would affect the result of a bone scan.... in my mind it would as it would inhibit the growth of bone and therefore not show up as much on the scan... or am I barking completely up the wrong tree????

I need to decide that if he has to have both then which should he have first!!

 

[Twigben]

Hi

My boy is having Tldren in August to try and help his bone spavins and arthritus (poor lad is only 5!). He had a bone scan 1st to identify the problem area, he was then x-rayed and scanned with the ultra sound before they came up with a diagnosis. Follwoing the diagnosis they decided to use Tildren to treat it.

As far as i am aware and have been advised he cant have the Tildren for 10 weeks after the bone scan because the radioactivity they use for the scan reacts with the Tildren and it wont work so they advise 10 weeks between the scan and treatment.

There is a website for Tildren http://www.tildren.com/tildrenhome.nsf

It states:
"The skeletal structure of a fully-grown horse is not an unchanging structure. Throughout its adult life, bone will be remodelled according to its workload and the mechanical conditions affecting different parts of the bone.

Bone is a very active and highly adaptable tissue : thus the bony areas of a competition horse which are subject to great stress, are stronger, denser and higher in calcium than those of an inactive horse which is out at pasture, resting or convalescing.

On the bone surface, two main types of cells are constantly working together to create "new" bone tissue.

OSTEOCLASTS : bone "nibblers"
Osteoclasts are responsible for "bone lysis", a phenomenon that actually involves the digestion (dissolution and demineralisation) of the bone at microscopic sites. Osteoclasts are activated by the body according to mechanical stresses on the skeletal structure, and they allow the body to "make free space" so that other cells, osteoblasts, can make new, and possibly more suitable, bone tissue.

OSTEOBLASTS : bone synthesisers
Osteoblasts synthesise the basic bone tissue : collagen. Osteoblasts also cause (trigger) collagen mineralisation. They are capable of synthesising new bone tissue, better suited to the physical stresses and strains to which the bone in question is subjected. But they work 7 times more slowly than osteoclasts.

Bone remodelling allows the skeletal structure to adapt constantly to the mechanical stresses to which it is subjected.
The bone structure of a horse will therefore change according to its level of activity (workload) and the type of sporting activity asked of it".

It is my understaning that Tildren affects the rate at which the Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts work and so helps conditions such as arthritus, spavin and navicular.

From all this i would think the Tildren would affect the bone scan because the scan shows "hot spots" of bone which are those that are being remodelled!

Do you know what is wrong with your horse? If so why are you having the bone scan? If you dont know whats wrong then how has Tildren been suggested as a treatment?

Sorry i am a little confused - it doesnt take much?!

Hope this helps?

 

[aran]

you are correct - as the o'clasts 'nibble' and take up the tildren they are inhibited so stop lysis - therefore reducing bone loss. Any condition involving bone lysis as the major issue is helped by adding a bisphosphonate - esp: osteoporosis in humans!

 

[merlinsquest]

Thanks for such and indepth reply, much appreciated.

My horse has an arthritic fetlock, diagnosed by xray. However he has had loads of stuff done to him, shock wave therapy, Irap, steroid injection into joint and danilon..... however he is still not good and looks bi-laterally lame behind rather than lame on the arthritic side. Sooooo I am thinking that there may be something other than the fetlock going on.... hence the bone scan request. The Tildren has been suggested as a benefit for the fetlock.

As I seem to be correct in thinking though, the Tildren might muck up the potential result of a bonescan by limiting the activity in the bones..... so tomorrow might not be a good time to run the Tildren if he could benefit from a scan....... my brain is hurting.

I was worried that my vet would be cross with me for mucking him about and so I sent him an email last night to express my concerns, and bless him, he has just replied to say we can discuss it in the morning so can sleep easy knowing he knows what i am worried about.....

Sod the cookies, big cream cake for getting this far!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dixie]

What's Tildren??

My boys just been diagnosed with arthritis in fetlock and sacriolic joint but have not heard of Tildren.

He's just finished a course of Cortaphen (sp?) injections so am giving him some time to see if he comes sound. He's now sound behind according to vet but not in front.