This study provides evidence to support the use of knotless barbed suture for open ovine cystorrhaphies. Use of such suture for laparoscopic and laparoscopic-assisted procedures in sheep warrants caution until cyclic and in vivo testing is performed with appropriate laparoscopic instrumentation.

Background: Tendon and ligament injuries are significant causes of loss of use and early retirement in performance horses. Amniotic fluid and tissue are excellent sources of growth factors and cytokines important in tendon and ligament healing. Thus, a liquid amnion allograft (LAA) may be beneficial in the treatment of equine tendonitis and desmitis. Objectives: Report the outcome achieved (i.e. ability to return to work) for horses diagnosed with tendonitis or desmitis lesions treated with local injection of LAA and to compare these outcomes to those reported for other regenerative medicine modalities.Study design: Prospective, multi-center, non-blinded clinical trial.Methods: Equine veterinarians at 14 sites were selected to participate in the data collection for the trial. Criterion for inclusion was a horse presenting with lameness which was attributed to tendonitis or desmitis by diagnostic anesthesia and/or imaging. These horses were subsequently treated by local injection of the lesion with LAA by the attending veterinarian. Standardized questionnaires describing each horse’s signalmant, discipline, ability to return to work, and any adverse events were completed and submitted by the attending veterinarian following a minimum of six months follow-up.Results: Questionnaires for 100 horses with 128 tendonitis and desmitis lesions met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 72 horses with 94 lesions returned to or exceeded their original level of work, 10 horses with 13 lesions returned to work but could not perform to previous standards, and 18 horses with 20 lesions did not return to work as a result of the injury. The attending veterinarian for 92 horses reported satisfaction with the LAA and the response to therapy. Adverse events following administration of LAA were reported in 13 horses. Conclusions: Treatment of tendonitis and desmitis lesions by local injection of LAA achieves a similar rate of horses returning to previous level of performance as other regenerative modalities such as mesenchymal stem cells, platelet-rich plasma, and autologous conditioned serum; however, blinded placebo-controlled studies are indicated.