Equine Flash Notes - Lameness Review

Question 1

what is the number one site of lameness in horses & should be eliminated as a cause first?

Answer 1

foot

Question 2

where are most lameness in the hindlimbs?

Answer 2

most below proximal tarsus - hock&raquo_space;> stifle

Question 3

why do most lamenesses in horses occur in the forelimbs?

Answer 3

forelimbs carry 60% of weight with most injuries

Question 4

what does pointing of a forelimb in a lame horse mean?

Answer 4

resting a limb may indicate problems in that limb

Question 5

T/F: it is normal for a horse to shift weight in its hindlimbs

Answer 5

true

Question 6

what are the most common congenital causes of lameness in neonatal foals?

Answer 6

angular limb deformities, flexural deformities, rupture of common digital extensor, & cuboidal bone anomalies

Question 7

what are the most common congenital causes of lameness in foals?

Answer 7

hematogenous septic arthritis, sesamoid fx, acquired angular limb deformities, physeal dysplasia, physeal fx, weak flexor tendons, & OCD

Question 8

what are the most common congenital causes of lameness in yearlings?

Answer 8

sesamoid fx, OCD (fetlock, tarsus, & stifle), & physeal dysplasia

Question 9

what are the most common congenital causes of lameness in 2-year-old horses in race training?

Answer 9

bucked shins!!!!!

splints, bowed tendons, carpal fx, & OCD

Question 10

what are the most common congenital causes of lameness in old horses?

Answer 10

ossification of fat/cartilage & degenerative joint disease

Question 11

what are the most common congenital causes of lameness in adult horses?

Answer 11

navicular disease, bone spavin, OA, carpal fx, splint bone fx, bowed tendons, traumatic septic arthritis, sesamoiditis, cortical fractures at MCIII, & idiopathic tenosynovitis

Question 12

T/F: in horses, foot conformation is more important than limb conformation

Answer 12

true

Question 13

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 13

base-narrow - distance between feet is less than the distance between the origin

ddx - articular windpuffs in fetlock, lateral sidebone, lateral ringbone & lateral heel bruises

Question 14

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 14

base wide - distance between the feet is greater than the distance of the origin of the limbs

ddx - fetlock problems, medial sidebone, medial ringbone, & winging

Question 15

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 15

pigeon toed/toed in - toes point in

ddx - congenital defect that may accompany crooked limbs & paddling

Question 16

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 16

knocked knees/carpal valgus - lateral deviation distal to carpus

ddx - stress on medial collateral ligament in the carpus or angular limb deformity

Question 17

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 17

splay-footed/toed out - toes point away from each other

ddx - congenital problem with twisting of limb or winging

Question 18

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 18

bow legs/carpal varus - medial deviation distal to the carpus

ddx - increased stress on lateral collateral ligament & angular limb deformity

Question 19

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 19

open knees - irregular carpal profile (side view), carpal joints appear not to be closed in young horses (1-3 years) that improves with age

ddx - physeal dysplasia (physitis) & carpal problems

Question 20

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 20

benched knees/offset knees - lateral deviation of the metacarpal bones from the front view

medial splints

Question 21

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 21

tied in knees - flexor tendons appear too close to the cannon bone in the lateral view

Question 22

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 22

cut out under the knees - dorsal surface of cannon bone appears cut out just below the carpus at the lateral view

Question 23

what is this stance called in horses? what may cause it?

Answer 23

standing under in front - elbow & distal limb behind line dropped from tuber spinae

shortened stride, stress on limb, & tendency to stumble

Question 24

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 24

camped in front - elbow & distal limb in front of line dropped from tuber spinae

may be due to compensation to alleviate pain due to navicular disease or laminitis

Question 25

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 25

base narrow - distance between feet is less than the center of the thighs interference if good conformation in the front & strains to lateral structures of limb

Question 26

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 26

base wide - distance between feet is greater than distance between center of thighs most common form is cow hocked!!

Question 27

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 27

cow hocked/tarsus valgus - medial deviation of hock joints, base narrow to hock & base wide from hock to hoof bone spavin & may be accompanied by sickle hock

Question 28

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 28

sickle hock/curby conformation - excessive angulation of hock joints at the lateral view curb - strain on plantar aspect of hock

Question 29

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 29

straight behind - excessively straight limbs at the lateral view bog spavin & upward fixation of the patella

Question 30

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 30

standing under behind - entire limb too far forward

Question 31

what conformation defect is shown in this photo? what can cause it?

Answer 31

camped behind - entire limb placed too far caudally

Question 32

what foot conformational defect is shown here? what can happen with it?

Answer 32

broken hoof pastern axes - low heel & long toe heel bruising, navicular disease, hoof cracks, & interference

Question 33

what foot conformational defect is shown here? what can happen with it?

Answer 33

coon footed - steep foot angle, low pastern angle extensor process pedal bone, DJD of coffin joint, & pedal osteitis

Question 34

what foot conformational defect is shown here? what can happen with it?

Answer 34

hoof imbalance - medial & lateral walls at unequal lengths osselets (fetlock), ringbone (pastern), navicular disease, hoof cracks, & sheared heel

Question 35

what foot conformational defect is shown here? what can happen with it?

Answer 35

long sloping pasterns - pastern bone long & pastern bone angle is normal/abnormal tenosynovitis of the flexor tendons or sesamoiditis/sesamoid fractures, & desmitis of the suspensory ligament

Question 36

what foot conformational defect is shown here? what can happen with it?

Answer 36

long upright pasterns - pastern too long & angle too steep restoring the normal hoof angle results in a broken foot/pastern axis putting even more stress on the navicular bone

Question 37

what are lamenesses are racehorses (thoroughbreds & quart horses) predisposed to?

Answer 37

carpal fractures, fetlock joint injuries, injuries to the suspensory ligaments/muscle tendons, sesamoid bone injuries, navicular disease, hock injuries, & foot injuries

Question 38

what are lamenesses are hunter-jumpers predisposed to?

Answer 38

sacroiliac problems, back problems, desmitis of distal sesamoidean ligaments, & rupture of distal sesamoidean ligaments

Question 39

what are lamenesses are steeple chasers predisposed to?

Answer 39

desmitis of distal sesamoidean ligament, fractures, sacroiliac subluxation, & back problems

Question 40

what are lamenesses are standardbreds (trotters & pacers) predisposed to?

Answer 40

gluteal myositis, exertional myopathies, hock lameness, back soreness, carpal fractures, splints, tendinitis, back problems, & subluxation of sacroiliac joints

Question 41

what are the very common foot conditions causing lameness in horses? what are the second most common?

Answer 41

very common - broken forward, bruised sole, hoof imbalance, laminitis, navicular disease, puncture wounds of foot, run under heels, & subsolar abscesses common - abscesses of white line, brittle feet, conformational defects, contracted heels, coronary band injuries, hoof cracks, hoof lacerations, limb contracture, nail prick, pedal osteitis, synovitis of DIP joint, thrush, & traumatic heel wounds

Question 42

what does heat in the coronary band indicate in horses?

Answer 42

laminitis

Question 43

if a horse has diffuse sole sensitivity with hoof testers, what differentials should be considered?

Answer 43

laminitis, sagittal fx of distal phalanx, diffuse pododermatitis, & diffuse pedal osteitis

Question 44

if a horse has localized sensitivity with hoof testers, what differentials should be considered?

Answer 44

sole bruises, corns, non-articular fx of distal phalanx, gravel, subsolar abscesses, puncture wounds, nail prick, heel crack

Question 45

if a horse has sensitivity of the central frog with hoof testers, what differentials should be considered?

Answer 45

navicular disease, navicular bone fracture, navicular bursa infection, sheared heels, & puncture/abscess of frog

Question 46

what are the most common lameness conditions in the pastern? what are the second most common?

Answer 46

sprains & synovitis second most common - DJD, pastern dermatitis, septic tenosynovitis, & tendon laceration

Question 47

what are the most common lameness conditions in the fetlock? what are the second most common?

Answer 47

arthritis (osselets), sprains, & synovitis desmitis of the suspensory ligament branches, windpuffs, MC3 fx, proximal phalanx fx, suspensory apparatus rupture, sesamoid fx, & sesamoiditis

Question 48

what are the most common lameness conditions in the metacarpus/metatarsus? what are the second most common?

Answer 48

bowed tendons, bucked shins, splints (exotosis of MC2 & MC4), & stocking up acute tenosynovitis, cellulitis, windpuffs, laceration of tendon sheath, osteomyelitis, splint fx, & suspensory desmitis

Question 49

what are the most common lameness conditions in the carpus? what are the second most common?

Answer 49

synovitis!!!! carpal valgus, chip fx, hygroma, OA, physitis, septic arthritis, slab fx, & soft tissue damage

Question 50

what are the most common lameness conditions in the forearm & arm?

Answer 50

capped elbow, humeral fx, radial nerve paralysis, & ulnar fx

Question 51

T/F: chronic lameness in the hindlimb of horses is usually due to structures above the foot

Answer 51

true

Question 52

what structures are most commonly involved in causing hindlimb lameness in horses?

Answer 52

hock is most common!!! hip is least common

Question 53

what is bog spavin?

Answer 53

fluid distension of the tarsocrural joint due to synovitis

Question 54

what is bone spavin?

Answer 54

DJD of the distal intertarsal & tarsometatarsal joints

Question 55

what is thoroughpin?

Answer 55

swelling due to synovitis or tenosynovitis of the tarsal sheath & tendon of the DDF at the tarsus

Question 56

how do you differentiate thoroughpin from bog spavin?

Answer 56

distension doesn't move to other parts of the hock by compression in thoroughpin distension moves to other pouches with bog spavin

Question 57

what is curb?

Answer 57

swelling at the plantar aspect of the calcaneus due to inflammation of the long plantar ligament

Question 58

what is a capped hock?

Answer 58

swelling of the subcutaneous bursa over the point of the hock

Question 59

what are the most common lameness conditions in the tarsus?

Answer 59

desmitis of long plantar ligament (curb), capped hock (hygroma), bog spavin, bone spavin, osteochondrosis, & sprains

Question 60

what are the most common lameness conditions in the stifle?

Answer 60

collateral ligament sprain, DJD, gonitis (stifle lameness), infectious arthritis, OCD, soft tissue damage, & upward fixation of the patella

Question 61

what are the most common lameness conditions in the thigh/hip/pelvis?

Answer 61

muscle strains & rhabdomyolysis

Question 62

what are the most common lameness conditions in the back?

Answer 62

ill fitting saddle/poor riding, skin lesions, & temperament