Check Ligament Surgery

A retrospective study of clinical cases of superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendonitis was conducted to assess the benefits of surgically cutting the accessory ligament of the SDF tendon (superior check ligament desmotomy) to treat bowed tendons in Thoroughbred racehorses. Medical and race records were used to assess the outcomes of 332 horses and the return to racing and performance were described for the horses treated in this manner.

Most (69%) of the horses returned to racing with little difference between those that raced prior to injury and those that did not. Horses over 5 years of age were less likely (44%) to return to racing compared with younger horses (72%). The time for return to racing following treatment ranged from 48 to 1,120 days with a median time of 302 days. Most horses (70%) that started following surgery raced more than five times and the typical number of starts following surgery was seven to eight with little difference between those that started prior to surgery and those that did not. The authors offer the results as a baseline of comparison for other treatments of bowed tendons and suggest that older horses may not respond as well as younger horses to check ligament desmotomy.

— Hu AJ and Bramlage LR. JAVMA 2014;244:1441-1448

Penetrating Foot Injuries

The chances of recovery for horses that were hospitalized for treatment of a penetrating injury to the sole that involved the foot’s synovial structures were examined in a retrospective case series. Data was…