Cooper Reflects on 2019

Another one in the books and 2019 was a very busy year for me. I started out on January 14 lecturing and instructing and all day wetlab for the Kansas regenerative medicine Center. March 28 through the 30th was spent in Calgary, Alberta, Canada performing tendon research with Dr. Chad Hewlett of Energy Equine.

Spring time meant attending and presenting case studies at an advanced ISELP (International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology) course focused on the equine neck. Also in May, from the 28th through the 30th I was one of three instructors teaching an advanced equine lameness and imaging course in San Diego for Sonosite.

Fast forward to the Fall, I attended a private meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota with about twenty other equine veterinarian sponsored by Tenex. We learned about their revolutionary device, an ultrasonic ultrasound-guided instrument that preferentially and simultaneously liquefies and aspirates scar tissue. At the end of September I was asked to present a series of four lectures at the NEAEP (Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners) Annual Conference in Saratoga, New York. My talks revolved around rehabilitation, ultrasound diagnostics, and pre-purchase examinations. They also had me instruct a half day wetlab on equine pelvic ultrasound.

Now into October, I was again one of three instructors teaching an advanced equine lameness and imaging course for Sonosite in Nashville, Tennessee. While in Tennessee, one more day was spent helping somewhat site produce an online video featuring may presenting pelvic musculoskeletal ultrasound survey, internal and external. At the end of October, from the 24th through the 26th, I traveled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada to present a private ultrasound imaging seminar for Dr. Chad Hewlett’s Energy Equine. Dr. Hewlett and myself also worked on the tendon research at this time. It was nice to also have the opportunity to help instruct an imaging seminar locally in Monkton.

The annual AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) 2019 conference in Denver was a whirlwind! On Saturday it was teaching for ISELP an international group ultrasound wetlab course held at the CSU Veterinary School. Sunday, presented a talk on comprehensive pelvic musculoskeletal ultrasound sponsored by Sonosite. Monday, December 9, I presented my paper “How to Evaluate and Diagnosis Multifidus Muscle Lesions with Ultrasound”, that I coauthored with French veterinarian Philippe Benoit. On Tuesday, December 10, I was honored to be part of an international veterinarian quartet presenting a half day in-depth set of lectures and interactive panel discussion on hind end lameness, to more than 1500 equine veterinarians. I specifically presented my paper “Examination and Treatment of Lameness from the Stifle through the Foot”.

Through most of 2019, Dr. Stewart and I were beta testers for the Butterfly Network Butterfly IQ ultrasound, the revolutionary new ultrasound. We created an extensive library of equine ultrasound images featured at their trade show booth. We were also involved in research pertaining to PRP and alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M). Finally, I also continued my consultation work on large animal species at the Maryland Zoo.

So what does next year have in store? Well at least so far . . .

The North American association of racetrack veterinarians (NAARV) has invited me to present a lecture focusing on imaging and case presentations of the equine pastern at there are 2020 spring conference to be held here in Maryland. I will be traveling to Portland, Oregon to attend and present a lecture at the 2020 Equine Regenerative Medicine Summit. At this meeting I will be presenting a paper on the use of extracellular matrices in equine regenerative medicine. I am now part of an international group of equine sports medicine veterinarians forming the High-Performance Sports Medicine Group, looking toward collaborative research.