Frozen and dehydrated amniotic membrane its use in cutaneous wounds of horses
Amniotic membrane, stem cells, wound management
Due to certain peculiarities of the equine, an animal that responds to danger with an instinct of fight and flight,
it is predisposed to extensive skin lesions. The great majority of horses are destined for athletic life and defective
tissue repair represents a significant economic weight in the industry, with 7% of animals being retired due to
injuries resulting from wounds. The classic treatment consists of surgical debridement, topical medication and
banding, but characteristics such as genetics, inflammatory response, blood and oxygen supply, synthesis, growth
and phenotype of fibroblasts, among others, make wound management a major challenge in the lower limbs.
(Theoret 2008) The amniotic membrane is one of the oldest biomaterials used for tissue recovery. Its use was first
documented by Davis in 1910, when it was used in skin transplants. Since then, it has gained in importance
because of its ability to reduce scarring and inflammation, improving wound healing and assisting cell proliferation
and differentiation as a result of its antimicrobial properties. In addition, it is a biomaterial that can be easily obtained,
processed and transported. (Niknejad 2008) The use of this material in veterinary medicine has already shown
good results as evidenced in equine ophthalmology by Plummer (2009), in cats by Barachetti (2010) and the
equine membrane has already been used in dogs with good results as reported by Fahie and Shettko (2007) ).
Therefore, new methods of injury management are necessary to assist the veterinary professional.
The use of the amniotic membrane will be proposed as a method of aiding and modulating the wounds, evaluating
it against the most applied techniques.