Long-term surgical outcome data for kissing spines interventions is informing better patient selection and post-operative management, improving welfare outcomes for horses undergoing these procedures.
Long-term surgical outcome data for kissing spines enables better welfare-conscious patient selection — identifying which horses are likely to benefit substantially versus those for whom surgery is unlikely to resolve welfare-limiting pain. The evidence points to surgical technique and patient selection as important but post-operative rehabilitation quality as the most critical determinant of long-term welfare outcome. Horses that receive comprehensive, graduated rehabilitation with physiotherapy, core conditioning, and gradual reintroduction to work recover better than those returned to work rapidly after surgery. The welfare case for surgery in appropriately selected horses with genuine chronic back pain is strong, but this must be complemented by equal investment in the rehabilitation process that determines whether surgical improvement is maintained.