Supporting-Limb Laminitis Investigated in Horses

A research project underway at the University of Queensland in Australia is seeking knowledge about supporting-limb laminitis, the malady that caused Barbaro to lose his fight to recover from a broken leg.

Supporting-limb laminitis is a common occurrence in horses that sustain a leg injury that causes them to bear weight almost exclusively on the opposite leg. The research will test the hypothesis that a restriction in blood supply causes supporting-limb laminitis in the uninjured leg.

Normally, horses move enough to shift their weight onto and off of each limb many times each day. This movement encourages active circulation of oxygenated blood throughout the tissues of the leg and hoof, including the lamellar tissues that support structures within the hoof. When a horse is injured and must support its weight on only three legs, circulation is compromised. Using three-dimensional computed tomography as well as tissue microdialysis, a state-of-the-art minimally invasive technique, the researchers will work to develop effective methods of preventing or minimizing lamellar tissue damage. This study is one of 17 equine projects that will receive funding from the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation in 2011.