Clinical, Radiographic And Arthroscopic Evaluation Of Joint Affections In Horses

CLINICAL, RADIOGRAPHIC AND ARTHROSCOPIC EVALUATION OF JOINT AFFECTIONS IN HORSES Name of the Student : SAMAR HALDER Degree for which submitted : Ph.D. in Veterinary Surgery and Radiology Chairman : Dr. R. Suresh Kumar, Ph.D. Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology Madras Veterinary College Department : Veterinary Surgery and Radiology Place : Madras Veterinary College University : Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Year : 2006 The research work was carried out to evaluate the joint affections by clinical, radiographic and arthroscopic examination and to find out correlation between them. Incidence of joint affections revealed more frequent involvement of right forelimb in young male horses ‘up to 6 years of age’. Carpal (42.55%) and fetlock (29.79%) joints were most frequently affected. Ligament injuries and articular fractures were more commonly encountered in racehorses whereas DJD, OCD and synovitis were observed both in race and non -race horses. Of the 12 cases of DJD, characteristic degenerative changes were observed only in 50 percent of the joints on survey radiography. Whereas arthroscopy facilitated accurate assessment of articular cartilage damage in all the horses. Osteochondral lesions were observed only in 27.27 percent joints on radiographic examination. But all the cases were diagnosed arthroscopically. Evaluation of intraarticular ligament was made possible only by arthroscopy. Arthroscopy revealed that radial carpal-third carpal branch (lateral) was more frequently injured than the medial branch. A gelding with partial rupture of cranial cruciate ligament, arthroscopy revealed partial rupture of cranial cruciate ligament with avulsion of tibial eminence. Synovitis was usually accompanied by various grades of lameness, synovial effusion, heat and periarticular swelling. Inflammed and clubbed villi, hyperaemic synovial membrane, fibrin deposit, free floating cellular debris were the common arthroscopic findings. Of the four articular fractures in the present study, only three were diagnosed radiographically. Crush chip fracture of the radial carpal was radiographically silent but was evident on arthroscopic examination. Radiographic examination revealed excess callus at the fracture site of proximal medial sesamoid bone, whereas arthroscopy revealed nearly normal articular surface except a thin healed fracture line. Gross pathology confirmed the arthroscopic interpretation. Radiographic examination in horses with cystic lesion was usually diagnostic and appeared as circumscribed radiolucent area. Improvement of lameness was observed after low-four point nerve block and intrasynovial analgesia. Radiography revealed bone remodelling with slight concavity of the distodorsal aspect of third metacarpal above.