THE HORSE GAZETTE
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exciting new therapies for injuries
By Ingrid Edisen
When Dr. Kristi Un- adults, we still have mesenchy-
forth a re-growth of tendon tis-
derwood bought her palomino mal cells in the bone marrow
sue that is superior to that left
prior to graduating from the and some in our adipose (fatty)
after “traditional” remedies for
University of Illinois vet- tissue that are able to do this.
such injuries (stall rest, icing,
Freshest Feed in Bexar County!
erinary school in 2003, she So, we inject the mesenchymal
tendon splitting, shock wave
figured she’d have time to ride stem cell into a tendon and it
therapy, etc.). However, there
Coastal Hay & Alfalfa
him. She still
is still a long time line needed
has Skippy,
for returning animals back
a nice man-
to work--whether the inju-
n e r e d 1 4 -
ries were treated via stem cell
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y e a r - o l d
technology or the “traditional”
gelding, and
manner. Kristi observed that no
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a l o n g t h e
matter what type of treatment
way her hus-
is used, the horse still needs
band and she
an extended period of rest, but
have gained
1 Retama Parkway • Selma, Texas
with stem cells she believes
about three
they do heal faster and get back
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dogs as well.
to work faster. With stem cell
Take Lookout Road to the Retama Park Guard Station
But after she
treatment, you are looking at
stepped into
perhaps needing 4-6 months
her fulltime
off; with traditional treatments,
Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm
210-651-8228
medical prac-
perhaps eight-plus months off.
tice at the
Tendons treated with stem cell
Saturday: 8am - 1pm
Elgin Veteri-
methods are pliable and look
nary Hospital
just as good under the micro-
she realized
scope as the original tissue.
that her free
This does
time has taken a back
not nec-
seat to her profession.
e s s a r i l y
Elgin is located just
hold true
east of Austin. Skippy
f o r i n -
does get ridden but
jured ten-
Kristi admits it is not
dons that
nearly as frequently
were al-
as she would have
lowed to
hoped. There’s simply
heal with
too much work to be
some sub-
done.
s e q u e n t
Kristi re-
scarring
cently described what
12 x 48 Shed Row
and lack
it’s like to be a vet
of flex-
these days--and explained re-grows tendon tissue. We
ibility.
much about stem cell and inject them into a joint and they
Also, the animal
bone marrow transplantation should help re-grow cartilage
tends to re-injure a tradition-
process. on the joint surface that has
ally treated tendon more often
“After taking pri- been damaged. There hasn’t
than one that was treated with
mary emergency calls for been a lot of research yet on
stem cell assisted regenera-
many years, I’ve decided to the cartilage regeneration, but
tion. Percentage-wise, Kristi
8 x 10 Run-In Shed
always expect the unexpected.
10x28 with 8’ Tack
people are starting to use stem said, “Over 56 % of horses
Usually when a woman is cells for that and are having
will re-injure a tendon that
hysterically crying on the some good results clinically.
has gone through a traditional
phone that her horse got cut Currently stem cells
www.deercreekstables.com
treatment vs. 24 % that have
up ‘real bad’--they get here are garnered from a standing
had a stem cell injection. This
(254) 546-2276
and it is a 1/2 -inch laceration sedated horse by either ex-
lower re-injury rate is most
on the side of the body that I tracting a bit of bone marrow
likely due to the fact that stem
probably wouldn’t have ever (such as is found in the horse’s
cell treated tendons heal with
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Serving Texas & Surrounding States
34 x 22 Aisle Barn
noticed on my own horse. sternum) or adipose tissue.
a more normal tendon pattern
On the other hand, you get a Another source for stem cells is
and elasticity. Tendon injuries
cowboy that calls you up and the blood from a foal’s umbili-
treated conventionally will heal
says ‘my horse has a little gash cal cord, by the way. Currently
with a fibrous scar, which im-
on its side, I guess I should get the jury is still out on whether
pairs elasticity. The only draw
it looked at,’--watch out. It adipose tissue is as good of a
back to stem cell therapy is the
will show up bleeding out, an source of functional stem cells
cost--you are looking at spend-
Buy DIRECT from Yanta Farms and $ave
18-inch laceration across the but some success can be seen
ing about $2000 for diagnosis
abdomen with intestines hang- with it. A special needle is in-
of the injury, stem cell culture
ing out,” Kristi explained. serted into the horse’s sternum
and implantation.”
To her, the best part to harvest bone marrow or a
Stem cells began to
of her practice is fixing up a procedure is done to harvest
be examined almost a quarter of
“I want Yanta Hay!”
child’s favorite pony and see- adipose tissue. To obtain adi-
a century ago. Studies are still
ing the kid smiling after all’s pose tissue, a small cut is made
on going as scientists want to
well. The worst part of being a near the tail head, then a small
trace or mark exactly where the
vet, she said, is working your amount of fatty tissue is surgi-
cells “land” once they are in-
heart out on a case, doing ev- cally removed and the cut is
jected back into the animal. Dye
erything possible, and still end sutured back up. The harvested
tests and also genetic markers
up loosing the animal. cells are then sent to a lab that
are being used for precisely
1400 acres of irrigated coastal,
She explained that at grows more similar cells for
this sort of study. Lamintis is
Elgin Vet Hospital they make the client. Later, this new sup-
another area that scientists and
fertilized after every cutting
use of the stem cell technology ply of reproduced, regenerated
veterinarians would like to see
according to soil analysis to
to help rehabilitate horses that cells are inserted back into the
used for stem cell methods but
have suffered from soft tissue client’s injured area. From the
there is the hindrance of the
maximize nutritional value
injuries such as suspensory small number of stem cells are
fact that injured cells in founder
ligament lesions, tendonitis, that are harvested, the cells are
cases are literally trapped in
bowed tendons, or even car- allowed to multiply to in the
the laminae of the hoof and the
tilage regeneration in joints. lab to more than ten million
needed mobility and travel nec-
Contact: Scott Yanta 210-288-8140
Mesenchymal cells and stem which gives ample supply for
essary for injecting stem cells to
cells are basically interchange- reinsertion.
work does not exist.
E-mail: yantafarms@aol.com
able words. These cells are What is exciting for
Scientists are hopeful
able to differentiate into any vets, Kristi noted, is to see that
that in the future they may de-
type of tissue in the body. In by and large the result gives
velop a way to be able to “tap”
into the body and tell the body
to send stem cells to an afflicted
area. Right now, in England a
Exoticos Salvajes Inc.
Ringelstein Unlimited
Horses, Tack, Trailers & Team Ropings
pilot study using bone mar-
row derived stem cells is be-
ing used to help with humans’
Achilles tendon injuries.
Kristi took a moment
to look into her crystal ball
and said, “I hope that with the
Import and Export of Horses to Mexico, state of the economy we can all
Central and South America
hang in there and research will
continue to go on so we can
We take care of everything, including certificates,
Custom Orders
find the optimal treatments for
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Welcome
our equine athletes. There has
been so much advancement in
equine medicine and surgery
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over the past ten years; I only
can hope that the next ten years
$4,250.00 will continue to bring us new
Calico 2-Horse Slant, Walk-in Tack Room, Full
novel treatments.
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Escape Door, 3-Saddle Racks, Bridle Hooks
Dr. Kristi Underwood
can be reached at Elgin Veteri-
nary Hospital, P. O. Box 629;
a México, Centro y Sud América Elgin, TX 78621; (512) 285-
3395; fax (512) 285-3398.
Top picture: Ultra-
Cass & Courtney Ringlestein
sound showing a core lesion
of the suspensory ligament
(210) 885-0902 or (210) 316-6146
- good candiate for stem cell
therapy. 3rd picture: bone mar-
PO Box 200467, San Antonio, TX 78220
row needle.
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