Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Standing Arthroscopic Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Sepsis in a Horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary dentistry
- Year:
- 2020
- Authors:
- Elzer, Elizabeth J et al.
- Affiliation:
- 463027Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 15-year-old male Thoroughbred horse was brought in because he had a fever, swelling on the right side of his jaw, and was in pain when trying to open his mouth. The vet found that he had an infection in his right jaw joint, which was confirmed through tests and imaging. The horse also had an ear infection and a condition affecting the joint near his throat. He was treated with a procedure to clean out the infected joint while he was sedated, along with antibiotics to help fight the infection. Thankfully, there were no complications from the surgery, and the horse's symptoms improved completely.
Abstract
A 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was presented for investigation of fever, right temporomandibular region swelling, and progressive pain when opening the mouth. Right temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sepsis was diagnosed based on synovial fluid analysis, sonographic imaging, and standing robotic cone-beam computed tomography. Concurrent otitis media and temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) were also noted. The horse was treated with arthroscopic debridement and lavage during standing sedation followed by local and systemic antimicrobial therapy. There were no complications associated with the surgical procedure and the gelding's clinical signs resolved. Arthroscopy of the TMJ can be accomplished in the standing horse and should be considered when arthroscopic exploration or debridement of this joint is indicated. This is also the first case report of concurrent otitis media, TMJ sepsis, and THO; due to their close anatomic relationship, it is possible that septic otitis media could lead to pathology in the TMJ and temporohyoid joint, as described in humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32815477/