Abstract

Dorsal metacarpal disease (DMD) is a common musculoskeletal injury in young racehorses, and effective non-invasive treatments remain of clinical interest. This study aimed to evaluate whether high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), which was applied as the sole intervention in horses retired from training, reduces the clinical signs of DMD compared with untreated controls. During the 2023–2024 racing seasons, 15 Arabian racehorses diagnosed with DMD were enrolled; 9 received HILT and 6 served as controls without laser therapy. The treatment protocol consisted of five daily HILT sessions followed by five sessions administered every other day. Thermographic, orthopedic, and radiographic examinations of the third metacarpal bones were performed before and after the treatment period in both groups, with additional thermographic and clinical assessments conducted throughout therapy. The results showed that horses treated with HILT did not exhibit a significant reduction in pain and lameness accompanied by thermographic changes consistent with decreased inflammation. These findings indicate that HILT did not alleviate clinical signs associated with DMD in the affected horses; however, further controlled studies are required to determine its effect on tissue healing processes and to optimize treatment duration.

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