Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Scapulohumeral osteoarthritis in 20 Shetland ponies, miniature horses and falabella ponies.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2001
- Authors:
- Clegg, P D et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Animal Husbandry · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 20 cases of scapulohumeral osteoarthritis, which is a type of joint disease affecting the shoulder area, in Shetland ponies, miniature horses, and falabella ponies. All the ponies showed similar signs of lameness and had consistent changes seen on X-rays, mainly involving bone growths around the joint. In six cases, there were signs of joint dysplasia, which means the joint didn't develop properly, but it wasn't clear if this caused the arthritis or was just a coincidence. Unfortunately, no specific treatment helped improve their condition, and six ponies had to be put to sleep due to severe lameness. The remaining 14 ponies continued to be lame but were managed with occasional pain relief and kept in a pasture. Overall, the treatment did not lead to significant improvement for most of the ponies.
Abstract
This paper describes the clinical and diagnostic features of 20 cases of scapulohumeral osteoarthritis in Shetland ponies, miniature horses and falabella ponies. The history and clinical signs were similar in all the cases Radiographically they all had consistent changes which consisted predominantly of articular osteophytes and periarticular enthesiophytes. Six of the cases had radiographic evidence of dysplasia of the scapulohumeral joint, although it was uncertain whether this was a primary or a secondary finding. No specific treatment appeared to be advantageous. At follow up, six of the ponies had to be euthanased owing to continuing severe lameness; the other 14 ponies remained lame, but were maintained at pasture by the occasional use of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. No definitive aetiology for the condition was identified, but it is proposed that an underlying dysplasia, or lack of collateral support may predispose the scapulohumeral joint of miniature horse breeds to the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11258723/