Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with worsening lameness after surgery - what could be wrong?
By Espinosa-Mur, Pablo et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2021·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Medial malleolus fragmentation following talocalcaneal arthrodesis by a dorsomedial approach in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 16-year-old Quarter Horse mare was brought in for lameness in her right hind leg due to arthritis in her ankle joint. After surgery to stabilize the joint, her lameness worsened, and imaging showed a fragment in her tibia likely caused by the screws used in the procedure. The screws were removed, and the joint was cleaned out again. After two years, the joint had fully healed, and the mare's lameness resolved.
People also search for: horse lameness treatment · Quarter Horse ankle arthritis · horse surgery recovery time
Abstract
A 16-year-old, Quarter Horse mare was presented for a 3/5 right hind lameness associated with osteoarthritis of the talocalcaneal joint (TCLJ). Positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) demonstrated marked increased uptake of 18F-sodium fluoride and bone remodeling at the medial facet of the TCLJ, respectively. Under general anesthesia 2 cortical screws (4.5 and 5.5 mm) were placed in neutral fashionan arthrotomy from dorsomedial to plantaromedial through the medial facet of the TCLJ followed by copious lavage of the tarsocrural joint. Eight weeks after surgery, observable effusion of the tarsocrural joint was present and lameness had worsened. Radiographic examination revealed a fragmented medial malleolus of the tibia, likely secondary to repetitive trauma of the screw heads during tarsal flexion. Repeated CT showed partial fusion of the TCLJ. Both screws were removed and the tarsocrural joint was thoroughly lavaged arthroscopically. At a 20-month recheck the lameness had not improved, and ultrasound examination revealed severe thickening of the TCLJ capsule. Recheck examination 48 mo after surgery showed complete fusion of the TCLJ and resolution of the lameness. Key clinical message: Diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the TCLJ is challenging. Management by arthrodesis using a dorsomedial approach can result in fragmentation of the medial malleolus, with secondary synovitis and capsulitis of the tarsocrural joint.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34341600/