Bone Spavin/P1 Fractures

Question 1

What is a bone spavin?

Answer 1

DJD of distal intertarsal and tarso-metatarsal joints

Question 2

What is one of the most common causes of hindlimb lameness?

Answer 2

Bone spavins

Question 3

How many joint spaces make up the hock?

Answer 3

4

TMT, DIT, PIT, Tibiotarsal joint

Question 4

Which joints on the hind limb communicate?

Answer 4

Tibiotarsal and the PIT (always)
DIT and PIT (sometimes)
TMT and DIT/PIT (never)

Question 5

What surface of the hock is most commonly seen to have bone spavins?

Answer 5

Medial aspect of hock joint

Question 6

What does poor conformation of the joint predispose the patient to?

Answer 6

Osteoarthritis

Question 7

What is the term for when the cannon bone is more forward in the hindlimb?

Answer 7

Sickle hocked (Camped under)

Question 8

What constitutes a grade 1 bone spavin?

Answer 8

Small osteophyte distolateral central tarsal bone

Question 9

What constitutes a grade 2 bone spavin?

Answer 9

Small osteophyte proximal dorsolateral MTII

Question 10

What constitutes a grade 3 bone spavin?

Answer 10

Medium osteophyte distomedial central tarsal bone

Question 11

What constitutes a grade 4 bone spavin?

Answer 11

Large osteophyte proximal dorsolateral MTIII bone

Question 12

What is the cause of a bone spavin and what breed are they commonly seen in?

Answer 12

Chronic repetitive compression, torsion and shear strains

Common in Western performance horses

Question 13

What are some diagnostic procedures used for bone spavins?

Answer 13

Lameness evaluation:

• Palpate (medial aspect)- Church Hill Test, will abduct if painful
• Proximal limb flexion (spavin test) x90 sec
• block/rads

Question 14

What are three advanced imaging techniques used for diagnosing bone spavin?

Answer 14

Nuclear scintigraphy (details cortical bone and stress fractures)
Magnetic resonance imaging (examines soft and hard tissue in joints)
Computed tomography

Question 15

What are common IA injections given to treat bone spavins medically?

Answer 15

Corticosteriods, chrondroprotectives, autologous anti-inflammatories

Question 16

What is the surgical treatment for bone spavins?

Answer 16

Ankylosis

Question 17

What is the purpose of performing a cunean tenectomy?

Answer 17

Decreases rotational and shearing forces

Question 18

What is the purpose of transarticular drilling in order to treat bone spavins?

Answer 18

the drilling of the joints will cause them to fuse

3 drill tracts at 30 degree diverging angles are created

Question 19

What is a treatment for bone spavins that utilizes superheating and vaporizing of synovial fluid?

Answer 19

Laser facilitated ankyloses

This promotes partial ankyloses but less fusion of distal tarsal joints

Question 20

What is a chemical treatment of bone spavins?

Answer 20

Ethyl alcohol facilitated ankylosis

Question 21

Where do majority of P1 fractures occur?

Answer 21

Forelimb

Question 22

Where should you perform the drilling for the P1 fractures?

Answer 22

Most proximal screw within 5 mm of sagittal groove

Question 23

What is the salvage procedure for a P1 fracture?

Answer 23

Fetlock arthrodesis

Used when there is complete rupture of SDF, DDF and suspensory ligament

Question 24

What is necessary post P1 fracture repair?

Answer 24

Strict stall rest in a 10x12 box, necessary