| Tendon & Ligament Health 肌腱和韧带健康 导语 The terms “tendon” and “ligament” are often used interchangeably. While they are similar in some ways (they’re both considered “soft tissue” or “connective tissue”), they’re different in others. Like the name “connective tissue” suggests, the role of tendons and ligaments is to connect. Where they differ is in what they connect – tendons connect muscle to bone while ligaments attach bone to bone. Both tendons and ligaments are vital to the proper functioning of your horse’s joints, and an injury could affect his soundness and performance level. 名词“肌腱”和“韧带”市场人们交替着用。当然它们在某些方面有相似之处（它们都被认为是“软组织”或“结缔组织”），它们在另一些方面又有不同。比如名词“结缔组织”意为：肌腱和韧带的功能是“链接”。它们的不同之处在于所链接的东西－肌腱将肌肉和骨头链接，而韧带是“骨头”与“骨头”之间的链接。确保肌腱和韧带功能正常对马的关节是至关重要的，因为这方面的伤病会影响马的稳健和运动水平。  Tendon 肌腱 There are two tendons that run down the back of the leg. The one nearest to the skin is the “superficial digital flexor tendon” and the one nearest to the cannon bone is the “deep digital flexor tendon”. If your horse has injured one of these tendons, we call the problem “tendonitis”, which is a term used to describe inflammation or swelling of the tendon. Tendon injuries can vary in severity, from a mild strain to a complete tear. One of the most common tendon injuries is often referred to as a “bowed” tendon, named for the bow shape that develops on the back side of the cannon bone when there is stretching and swelling in the tendon. 在马腿后面的位置，有两块肌腱。最贴近皮肤的那块是“趾浅屈肌腱”，最贴近“跖骨”的是“趾深屈肌”。如果你的马受伤是在这两块肌腱中的一个，那么我们称之为“肌腱炎”（“tendonitis”），该名词用于描述肌腱有炎症或水肿。肌腱受伤的严重程度各有不同——从轻度拉伤到完全撕裂。最常见的肌腱损伤通常以“弓形腱”的形式表现出，即跖骨后部的肌腱水肿或者发炎部位呈现出弓形。 Ligament Injuries 韧带损伤 There are several important ligaments found in your horse’s legs, including the “suspensory ligaments”, “check ligaments” and “sesamoid ligaments”. If your horse has injured a ligament, we call it “desmitis”, which is a term used to describe inflammation of a ligament. Similar to tendon injuries, ligament injuries can vary in severity, from a mild strain to a complete tear. One common ligament injury you may have heard of is often called a “pulled” suspensory, which is when the suspensory ligament is sprained and inflammation develops. 马腿上有一些非常重要的韧带，包括“悬韧带”，“翼状韧带”，“籽骨韧带”。如果你的马韧带受伤了，我们称之为“韧带炎”，即韧带的炎症。同肌腱损伤相似，韧带损伤的严重程度也有轻有重——从轻度拉伤到完全撕裂。你或许听到过的，常见的韧带损伤被称之为“pulled” suspensory（悬肌拉伤），也就是悬韧带扭伤或有炎症。 Diagnosis 诊断 It is important to supply the building blocks for tissue re-growth while at the same time provide protection against free radicals. If you notice unsoundness in your horse and suspect that he may have a soft tissue injury, it’s important to contact your vet immediately for a lameness exam and, hopefully, a diagnosis. The lameness examination may include flexion tests, palpation and nerve blocks to try and identify the source of the lameness. While x-rays may be taken, ultrasound is the imaging tool of choice for diagnosing and assessing soft tissue injuries. MRI and CT scans are also now being used to visualize potentially damaged structures. Most vets prefer to use one of these imaging tools because visualizing the injury enhances their ability to predict how severe it is and how long it will take to heal. 为细胞组织的再生提供养料的同时，为抵御有害自由基而提供保护是一件非常重要的事情。如果你注意到你的马步伐不稳健，怀疑马或许有软组织受伤的问题，那么一定要及时联系你的兽医，做跛足测试（lameness exam），希望能确诊。跛足测试（lameness exam）或许包括：弯曲测试，触诊，神经阻滞以尝试确定跛足的原因。涉及到软组织损伤或许会需要X光机，图片工具——超声波。核磁共振（MRI）和CT扫描等可视化工具也都曾被用于潜在的组织损伤。大部分兽医倾向于使用这些可视化工具，因为通过视觉观察能大大增加他们对伤情，以及愈合时间的判断。 Treatment治疗方案 Once you receive a diagnosis, it’s important to work with a consulting veterinarian to design the appropriate rehabilitation program for your horse. Many rehab programs progress from stall rest to hand walking, then a gradual return to riding and regular work, but timelines vary greatly based on the extent of the injury, so it’s important to work closely with your specialist equine vet. 在你确诊后，和你的兽医顾问一起为你的马设计一个恰当的康复计划是非常重要的。很多康复计划包括：在马厩休息，牵着遛马，缓慢的恢复到骑乘\训练，但是每一阶段的时间把握非常重要，时间的把握要建立在伤情的严重程度上，这也是为什么你需要和你的专业马兽医保持紧密合作。 Depending on your horse and his particular injury, I recommend cold therapy (such as icing or cold hosing), support bandages (like quilted wraps and stable bandages), or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as phenylbutazone (bute), Banamine? to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. 取决于你的马和它的伤情，我推荐冷疗（例如冰敷，冷敷），绷带支持（例如加衬的绷带和马厩绷带），或者非类固醇消炎止痛药（NSAIDs）例如苯乙丁氮酮（保泰松phenylbutazone）、Banamine?，用于减轻马的疼痛，消炎。 For many years I have used topical DMSO as an anti-inflammatory treatment. This product may be available in China. You must have the horses leg completely clean and dry before you use it, and use latex gloves when you apply it. If not, you will absorb through your skin. 多年来，我一直在消炎治疗方案中主要使用DMSO。该产品或许在中国也有。使用前，你必须保证马的腿是完全干净和干燥的，你在接触DMSO时候也应该要带橡胶手套。否则你的皮肤会吸收药物。 Newer therapies such as IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein), PRP (platelet rich plasma) and stem cells may also be beneficial. You should have an equine specialist veterinarian regularly monitor your horse’s progress throughout the rehabilitation process. If your horse returns to work too quickly he will become permanently lame. 新疗法，诸如IRAP（白细胞介素1受体拮抗interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein）、PRP（富血小板血浆），以及干细胞或许也会有用。你应该有一位兽医专家定期、系统的检测马的康复进展。如果你的马过早再次接受训练，或许会给马造成永久性损伤。 Supplements May Lend Support 营养补充剂或许能提供支持 Antioxidants – Sel-Plus Antioxidant Supplement. Antioxidants can help neutralize the damaging free radicals that are released during times of stress, illness or heavy activity. An injury is one stress that can increase the amount of free radicals produced in the body. The presence of too many free radicals is believed to be the primary cause of inflammation and cell destruction. 抗氧化剂——Sel-Plus抗氧化补充剂 抗氧化剂能消除身体应激，生病，高强度训练而释放的有害自由基。受伤也是一种应激，能增加身体所产生的有害自由基的数量。目前研究发现，过量的有害自由基是导致发炎和细胞受损的主要原因。 作者：凯瑟琳 · 戴维斯 |
