POSTOPERATIVE TECAR THERAPY IN HORSES: INSIGHTS INTO MUSCLE METABOLISM FOLLOWING GENERAL ANAESTHESIA AND A TECAR-BASED REHABILITATION PROTOCOL

General anaesthesia in horses is associated with a significantly higher mortality rate compared to companion animals and even humans, with postoperative complications being frequent. Among these, muscle injury -whether overt post-anaesthetic myopathy or subclinical biochemical alterations- represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The equine physiology, characterised by large body mass, susceptibility to tissue compression during recumbency, and sensitivity to even brief haemodynamic changes, increases the risk of muscular damage during and after anaesthesia. In this context, TECAR therapy (Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer), an endogenous thermotherapy using monopolar capacitive/resistive radiofrequency (300 kHz-1.2 MHz), offers a promising strategy for perioperative muscle protection due to its ability to enhance local perfusion, oxygen delivery, membrane permeability, tissue metabolism, and to reduce oedema and pain. This study investigated the effects of TECAR on muscle metabolism in 32 horses undergoing general anaesthesia for elective and emergency procedures. Sixteen horses received postoperative TECAR treatment, while sixteen served as controls. Anaesthetic parameters, duration of anaesthesia, serum muscle enzymes (CK, AST, ALT, LDH), and electrolytes (Ca²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, PO₄³⁻) were monitored and compared between groups. Emergency patients exhibited significantly higher CK, AST, ALT, and LDH levels, consistent with systemic stress and potential ischaemic muscle injury. TECAR treatment had a significant stabilising effect on CK, suggesting a protective role for skeletal muscle. Treated horses also demonstrated marked relaxation during sessions, based solely on the operator’s subjective observational assessment, suggesting possible modulation of parasympathetic tone and activation of endogenous opioid pathways. In conclusion, TECAR therapy proved safe and capable of modulating biochemical markers of post-anaesthetic muscle injury, with potential benefits in both elective and emergency cases. These findings support further investigation into preoperative applications and extended postoperative clinical monitoring to optimise muscle protection and functional recovery in horses undergoing general anaesthesia. Future studies should also incorporate validated pain-assessment tools to objectively quantify any potential analgesic effects associated with postoperative TECAR therapy.