title: Equine Dental Pulp Connective Tissue Particles Reduced Lameness in Horses in a Controlled Clinical Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess if injection of allogeneic dental pulp tissue particles would improve lameness in horses with naturally occurring osteoarthritis (OA) or soft tissue (ST) injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, blinded, and controlled clinical trial and client survey assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty lame client-owned horses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sterile dental pulp, recovered from otherwise healthy foals that perish during dystocia, was processed under good manufacturing processing to produce mechanically manipulated, unexpanded pulp tissue particles containing viable cells surrounded in extracellular matrix. Forty lame client-owned horses with confirmed OA (n= 20), or ST injury (desmitis or tendonitis) received a 2 mL intra-articular (n= 20 OA) or intra-lesional (n= 20) injection of control transport vehicle (n= 20) or 10 × 106dental pulp tissue particles (n= 20). Acclimatized horses had baseline measurements performed and were then injected on day 0. Horses were treadmill exercised for 2 weeks, evaluated by clinical parameters, lameness score, edema (score and circumference), pain on flexion (OA) or pressure (ST), and clients' scores for pain and discomfort before and through 45 days after pulp injection. Twenty horses were available for >2.5-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulp-treated horses showed decrease in lameness compared to baseline (P< 0.009) or placebo controls (P< 0.013) for at least 2 weeks. Client assessments of comfort were improved between before and 45 days after pulp injection (P< 0.001). Clinical improvement with ST injury was significantly greater than OA (P< 0.001). At >2.5-year follow-up, at least 10 horses were in work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental pulp tissue particles can be considered as a treatment option for equine lameness due to OA, desmitis, or tendonitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Alicia L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bertone
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Nathalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Reisbig
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Allison H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kilborne
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaido
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Navid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salmanzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lovasz
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Joy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sizemore
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Logan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scheuermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Rosalind J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zekas
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Brokken
keywords: dental pulp; desmitis; lameness; osteoarthritis; tendonitis