Flexural Deformities

Question 1

What is a flexural deforimity?

Answer 1

Hyperflexion of a limb from difference in length of the muscles and tendons relative to the bone length.

NOTE: aka Contracted tendons

Question 2

What are the 2 forms of flexural deformity?

Answer 2

Congenital

Acquired

Question 3

What 4 tissues can be involved in a flexural deformity?

Answer 3

Superficial digital flexor tendon
Deep digital flexor tendon
Suspensory ligament
Joint capsule

Question 4

What are 5 conservative treatments for flexural deformities?

Answer 4

Exercise
Shoeing
Splints
Oxytetracycline
Cast

Question 5

When are acquired flexural deformities usually seen?

Answer 5

Between 6-18 months of age.

Question 6

How does exercise help to correct a flexural deformity?

Answer 6

10 minutes in the morning and evening for a week or two to try and stretch things out to normal conformity.

Question 7

What do Dallmer glue on shoes help to correct?

Answer 7

Congenital flexural limb deformities

Question 8

What are 2 clinical signs of digital hyperextension?

Answer 8

Toe is elevated from the ground

Sinking fetlock

Question 9

What is the key feature of a corrective shoe made for contracted tendons?

Answer 9

Has an extended toe.

Question 10

What is the key feature of a corrective hoe made for digital hyperextension?

Answer 10

Has an extended heel.

Question 11

How does oxytetracycline help to treat flexural deformities?

Answer 11

Binds calcium and allows muscles to relax and stretch.

NOTE: Not always effective

Question 12

What is the surgical process to correct contracted tendons?

Answer 12

Digital flexor tenotomy

Question 13

When performing a digital flexor tenotomy to correct contracted tendons, what 2 tendons are being cut?

Answer 13

Superficial and deep digital flexor tendons

Question 14

What is the prognosis of a digital flexor tenotomy?

Answer 14

Usually good

Question 15

What is the recovery time after a digital flexor tenotomy?

Answer 15

~2 weeks

Question 16

What are 2 causes of acquired flexor tendon laxity?

Answer 16

Pain (usually from contralateral limb)

Prolonged external coaptation

Question 17

What is the common name of flexor tendon laxity?

Answer 17

Dropped fetlock

Question 18

How does prolonged coaptation result in flexor tendon laxity?

Answer 18

Weakens the soft tissue.

NOTE: This is rapid in foals.

Question 19

What does flexor tendon rupture look similar to?

Answer 19

Tendon laxity

Question 20

What can you do to help an animal with flexor tendon rupture?

Answer 20

Place a shoe with elongated heels to support the fetlock.

Question 21

Describe the classic symptom of radial nerve positioning.

Answer 21

I’m too cheap to pay 20 bucks for 2 months of fancy Brainscape so it’s the pic of the hereford cow with right thoracic fetlock in hyperextension.

(Slide 40 in the flexural deformity powerpoint)

NOTE: Grevemeyer said “try not to forget this picture”.

Question 22

What do we see in an extensor tendon rupture?

Answer 22

Knuckling over of the affected limb.

Question 23

What surgical procedure can you do to help correct superficial digital flexor tendonitis?

Answer 23

Superior check ligament desmotomy

Question 24

What is the common name for a flexural deformity at the distal interphalangeal joint?

Answer 24

Club foot

NOTE: ALSO contracted tendons

Question 25

What are 2 causes of club foot?

Answer 25

Fast growing foals (bones grow faster than tendons)

Pain

Question 26

What 3 things do we see clinically with club foot?

Answer 26

“Boxy” appearance
A break in the hoof-pastern angle
Weight bearing on the toe/growth at the heels

Question 27

What are 2 general treatments for club foot?

Answer 27

Conservative

Surgical

Question 28

What are 4 forms of conservative treatment for club foot?

Answer 28

Controlled exercise
Reduce nutrition intake
Trim the heels
Apply toe extensions

Question 29

What surgical repair is used for club foot?

Answer 29

Inferior check ligament desmotomy