Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Acquired flexural deformity of the metacarpophalangeal joint in five horses associated with tendonous damage in the palmar metacarpus.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 1999
- Authors:
- McDiarmid, A
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this study, five older horses and ponies, averaging about 15 years old, were found to have a condition called acquired flexural deformity of the metacarpophalangeal joint, which is the joint in their front legs. This deformity often happened after injuries to certain tendons in their legs, with four cases linked to damage in two specific tendons and one case related to just one tendon. All the horses were very lame and showed different levels of leg bending. Ultrasound tests showed that there were significant adhesions, or scar-like connections, between the affected tendons, and the size of one tendon was reduced. Unfortunately, various treatments did not help, and the outlook for recovery from this condition in older horses is generally not good.
Abstract
Five cases of acquired flexural deformity of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) in older horses and ponies were studied. The mean age of affected horses was 14-8 years. Four deformities developed following desmitis of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (ALDDFT) and superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and one following tendonitis of the SDFT alone. All cases were markedly lame and demonstrated variable degrees of flexural deformity. Ultrasonographic examination was performed on all cases which revealed extensive adhesion formation between the ALDDFT and SDFT and reduced cross-sectional area of the deep digital flexor tendon in each case. A variety of treatments were unsuccessfully employed to treat this condition. The prognosis for acquired flexural deformity of the MCPJ in old horses following tendonous damage in the palmar metacarpus is likely to be poor.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10358877/