Dexamethasone Iontophoresis in the Equine Tibiotarsal Joint

The use of iontophoresis as a therapeutic modality for treating horses is presently anecdotal. We used iontophoreseis to deliver 24 mg of dexamethasone-sodium-phosphate (DEX-P) to the tibiotarsal joint of 6 adult horses. At the end of a 40 min treatment period, we failed to detect dexamethasone either in synovial fluid or blood. Iontophoresis was ineffective delivering DEX-P into the joint at the selected electrode drug concentration. Additional studies are necessary to determine the limitations of iontophoresis as a treatment modality in horses. Authors ’ addresses: Dept. of Physical Therapy