A retrospective case series was reported from two veterinary referral centers in the eastern United States to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tiludronate to treat navicular disease and other causes of lameness related to bone and joint problems.

A total of 2,497 treatments were administered to 1,804 horses, mostly English sport varieties. Side effects, primarily mild or moderate colic symptoms, occurred in 23 of the horses (1.3%), and all were resolved with basic medical treatment. Follow-up was available on 343 horses, 305 of which had been lame at presentation. Of the 80% of horses that were lame, with a typical lameness grade of greater than 1.5 on a 5-point scale on presentation, 47% were sound 30 days following treatment and 52% were sound after 1 year. Most lameness grades improved by a value of 1 to 1.3. Most (72%) of the horses were back to competition after 6 months, with 84% of those participating at the same or a higher level of competition.

Although this was not a controlled or blinded study, it suggests tiludronate is well tolerated and offers good efficacy for lameness related to bone and joint disorders for at least a year following treatment.

— Tischmacher A et al. JEVS 2022:104007

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