Conservative management of equine tarsal collateral ligament injuries may allow return to normal performance.

The research article discusses how conservative treatment of injuries to the tarsal collateral ligament in horses can facilitate the animals’ return to their normal performance. It’s based on a retrospective analysis of equine patients spanning two decades.

Study Methods

• The researchers performed a retrospective analysis of data collected over a 20-year period from 2000 through 2020.
• The study included 78 horses of various breeds and disciplines, with a median age of 7 years.
• Ultrasound was used to diagnose and determine the type and distribution of tarsal collateral ligament (CL) injuries in horses.
• The horses were then divided into two groups based on whether they had a single ligament (group S) or multiple ligaments (group M) affected.
• The researchers compared resting times, ability to return to work, and post-injury performance levels between the two groups and in consideration of the severity of the horses’ cases.

Results

• A majority of the horses, 57 out of 78, had a single CL injury, whereas 21 had multiple CL injuries, leading to a total of 108 CL injuries and 111 lesions.
• The short lateral CL (SLCL) was identified as the most commonly injured ligament, with the long medial CL (LMCL) being the next most common.
• Enthesopathies, usually affecting the upper insertion of the SLCL and the lower attachment of the LMCL, were more common than desmopathies.
• 62 of the horses underwent conservative treatment, primarily involving stall rest. The median resting time, which did not significantly differ between groups or by severity, was 120 days.
• Out of the 62 treated horses, 50 were able to return to work within six months. The horses that were unable to return (12 out of 62) had a higher frequency of severe injuries.
• A majority of the horses, 38 in total, were not only able to return to work but also to perform at the same level, or higher, than before their injury.

Conclusions

• The research underscores the significance of thorough ultrasound assessments for diagnosing and managing tarsal CL injuries in horses.
• It also suggests that conservative management, such as enforced periods of rest, is an effective treatment method to help horses recover from such injuries and return to their prior levels of performance.