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Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
Amazing that my qualifications are now the topic. How exactly do you know what i know? I do know that I know quite a bit about the practical application of Stem Cell therapy in equines due to the fact I have had horses in my care receive the treatment (the first one was years ago by the way-it aint that new), the fact that a close friend who happens to be a surgeon worked extensively on Stemcell research and has been one of its biggest proponents (and yeah maybe just maybe we have had a conversation about this and similar scenarios), and I am pretty sure that I know far more from a practical standpoint about veteranarian medicine than anyone here.
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When I say "fledgling" I mean to say that stem cell therapy is an emerging therapy, with research still ongoing and efficacy still being determined. This is especially true as far as it applies to joint therapy. As you said, many horses have received the treatment for other types of injuries such as bowed tendons.
As with most new therapies for basically "irreversible" conditions, vets and their clients get carried away and start using them unjudiciously, applying them where perhaps they don't belong or won't be as effective as in an ideal scenario, in hopes that they can "keep or horse going" or "shorten the layup time" or "make them a different horse".
Where does the Lava Man scenario fit? I suppose somewhere in the middle. As you said, his age to a fair degree makes him a less than ideal candidate. However, the fact that he received treatment under ideal conditions (ie, with primary surgical treatment first, subsequent stall rest, followed by a gradual return to training) makes him a case worth following.
I'm with you in that its very unlikely he'll return at a top class level, and I realize that is what his connections are gunning for, but from a sideline perspective I think it would be pretty signifcant event if he was able to return and be competitive at least in state-bred stakes, even if such success would ultimately be only a minor feather in his cap.