Chapter 46: Limb DRASTAs Flashcards
Bowed Tendons
D: Inflamed tendon, mainly the superficial flexor tendon
R: overworking no unconditioned horse, poor conformation, taking a misstep, bad trimming/shoeing, material fatigue.
A: majority involve superficial flexor tendon in the front leg, but deep flexor can also bow. Rare to see on hind leg.
S: swelling on the back of the leg, horse will be quite lame. Pain, heat, swelling, etc.
T: trim to relax injured tendon and shoe with egg bar and rocker toe. Horse needs to be on stall rest for several months, both legs need to be wrapped.
A: Tendon will never be quite as strong. Horse may become sound, but it will be prone to having issues again.
Broken Bones
D: Any bone in the limb may be fractured
R: direct trauma
A: any bone in the limb may be fractured
S: saucer fracture: small portion of the bone has been splintered away from the main bone
Complete break: bone broken into two or more pieces
T: vet intervention. Surgery, possible rest shoe, patten bar, cast, stall rest, euthanasia
A: saucer fracture: horses tend to heal with a scar but no lameness.
Complete break: horse is often euthanized. If horse is salvaged, it will likely never return to work.
Bucked Shins
D: cannon bone has become bowed towards the dorsal aspect
R: happens most often in young racehorses. Cannon bones flex and bend from the forces put on them and this causes small cortical fractures on the dorsal part of the cannon bone. The body responds by laying down more bone cells causing the cortex to thicken and the bone to bow.
A: cannon bone primarily.
S: may be mild lameness, inflammation on the front of the cannon bones will be present. Once it has become a complete bucked shin, no inflammation but cannon bone will appeared bowed form a lateral view.
T: careful training (decrease workload) to prevent irreparable damage.
A: will be a blemish but not permanent lameness. Generally not a huge problem unless horse is pushed beyond reason.
Capped Hocks and Elbows
D: large soft swellings at point of hock or elbow
R: direct and repeated trauma to these locations
A: bursae at point of hock and point of elbow
S: no lameness. Soft large swelling at first, then becomes tough pad of scar tissue
T: ice or cold water early, possible drainage, or no treatment
A: no lameness, horse should continue to be sound
Carpitis
D: inflammation and osteoarthritis of the knee
R: conformation and use of the horse
A: any of the carpal bones, intermediate carpal is almost always involved
S: nonarticular: hard swelling on dorsal medial aspect of the carpus, but no lameness. Flexion test may illicit a response.
Articular: horse will be lame and reluctant to bend knee. Horse will become comfortable if knee fuses.
T: trim, level, balance foot. Protect from uneven wear if needed
A: not much can be done to stop the bone growth. If the growth becomes articulate, the usefulness of the horse is over.
Curb
D: Inflammation of the plantar ligament with swelling occurring about 4 inches below the point of hock
R: stress due to poor conformation, stopping hard, jumping, or taking a bad step
A: plantar ligament, sometimes the superficial flexor tendon can be involved
S: inflammation below point of hock (heat, swelling, etc), reluctant to put heels on the ground and walk on toes, mild lameness.
T: rest, ice, possible wedged heels or patten bar
A: once the acute phase is over, the horse should make a full recovery. May end up with a permanent blemish
Osselets
D: arthritic bone growth at the dorsal aspect of the fetlock joint
R: fetlock sinking so far that the dorsal aspect of the joint becomes damaged.
A: dorsal distal cannon bone, dorsal proximal P1, main extensor tendon
S: may not be severely lame, but get sore when asked to do strenuous work. At first, horses will be sore and have some soft swelling at the dorsal aspect of the fetlock joint.
T: severe rocker toe or square toe shoe may give the horse some comfort
A: career-ending problem for the horse
Radial Nerve Paralysis
D:
R: radial nerve damaged from blunt force trauma, humerus fractured and radial nerve severed, horse placed on one side too long during general anesthesia
A: radial nerve passing over the humerus and supplying the extensor muscles
S: unable to bring forelimb forward. Toe will drag, horse may have difficulty bringing limb forward enough to bear weight
T: protect the toe of the foot from excessive wear, vet involvement, possible euthanasia
A: if no significant recovery in first few weeks, chance of recovery is not good. This will lead to them being unusable and having poor quality of life.
Ringbone
D: new bone growth in pastern and coffin joint areas
R: poor conformation, concussion, direct trauma
A: long pastern, short pastern, coffin bone. Pastern joint and coffin joint with articular ringbone
S: nonarticular: hard growth in the pastern or coffin area, but no lameness.
Articular: horse will be lame, radiographs needed
T: rocker toes, beveled shoes, half-rounds, and potential surgery to fuse the pastern joint
A: nonarticular is considered a blemish. High articular: surgical potential for relief, low articular: horse probably not useable anymore.
Severed Tendons
D: completely cut or partially torn tendon
R: spontaneous tendon rupture (result of degeneration or previous infection) or laceration with an object
A: flexor and extensor tendons below knee and hock. Petronius tertius, superficial flexor on hind limb, and the gastrocnemius are most commonly involved with spontaneous tendon rupture
S: physical evidence of the lesion in the form of a traumatic wound, problems bearing weight (flexor tendons), problems walking normally (extensor tendons)
T: suture by vet, patten bar for flexor tendons, normal shoeing for extensor tendons, and careful aftercare by owner.
A: extensor tendon prognosis: good to excellent. Flexor tendons: prognosis is guarded. More than six hours between injury and suture means potential for bacterial contamination
Spavin
D: bone growth in the hock
R: conformation, use of animal, age. Horses straight in the hock are more prone.
A: any tarsal bone, but mostly seen in the dorsal medial aspect of the hock. Central tarsal bone usually involved. Distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints affected most of the time.
S: lameness, radiographs helpful to determine location and and severity
T: shoe to prevent wear
A: depends on the horse. Some will be done working for good, some will feel and move fine.
Splints
D: the splint bone has become separated from the cannon bone or broken
R: direct trauma, imbalance, severe twisting of the cannon bone
A: cannon bone, splint bones, interosseus ligaments. Most commonly the medial splint bone on the front leg
S: horse may be slightly sore. Swelling where the splint bone was damaged (green splint). Broken splint bone will show lameness
T: rest and time, possible surgery for broken splint bone
A: expect soreness for about 21 days. Permanent bone growth will result, but no lameness
Sprained Suspensory Ligament
D: the suspensory ligament has become injured and overstressed
R: overworking an unconditioned horse, a bad step, poor conformation, poor quality trimming/shoeing
A: suspensory ligament, sesamoids
S: horse will be lame, inflammation in suspensory ligament (usually close to the fetlock). Once healed, swelling will be considered a blemish.
T: stall rest, wrap legs, shoe to alleviate stress, extended heels, and vet attention
A: depends on horse. Conformation, Time between injury and treatment, and degree of severity are all factors.
Stifled and Stifle Lameness
D: stifled: upward fixation of the patella. Stifle lameness: horse moves with pain from injury to stifle joint
R: stifled: patella becomes locked on the bulbous medial ridge of the femoral trochlea. Conformation, under muscled, loose patella, etc. Stifle lameness: osteochondrosis, arthritis, fracture, ligament avulsion, falling
A: stifle joint, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia
S: stifled: hind limb becomes fixed at an extended position. Stifle lameness: changes in joint as seen by X-rays.
T: trim, level, balance, protect foot from uneven wear. Use a good vet.
A: stifled: return to work possible with good care. Stifle lameness: depends on horse, when the injury was found, extent of injury, etc
Stringhalt
D: unintentional sudden jerky and spastic lifting of the hind foot as a horse is walking
R: unknown for sure, but likely a nervous condition. Brain injury, spine injury, injury to nerve that controls the lateral extensor muscle
A: nervous system, lateral extensor tendon and muscle
S: sudden lifting of the hind foot in flight in an unusual manner. Can be unilateral or bilateral.
T: tenotomy of the lateral extensor tendon of the hind legs involved
A: unusable, but may depend on severity of the problem
