Deep digital flexor tenotomy as a treatment for chronic laminitis in horses: 35 cases (1988-1997).

The research evaluates the effectiveness of deep digital flexor (DDF) tenotomy, a surgical procedure, on horses with chronic laminitis. The study found that DDF tenotomy can be a viable alternative for treatment-resistant laminitis and in some cases, can return horses to light athletic performance.

Methodology

• The researchers reviewed 35 cases of horses with laminitis treated using DDF tenotomy spanning from 1988 to 1997.
• They gathered information from individual medical records and conducted follow-up interviews with horse owners and referring veterinarians to understand the results better.
• They performed a survival analysis to determine how many horses survived 6 months and 2 years after the surgical procedure.
• The study also evaluated how factors such as Obel grade of lameness (a scale used to measure the severity of laminitis) and distal phalangeal rotation (rotation of the bone inside the hoof often seen in laminitis cases) affected the success of the surgery.
• The researchers used chi-square analysis and ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) to statistically analyse their results.

Results

• The study found that 27 out of the 35 horses (77%) survived for at least 6 months, and 19 out of 32 (59%) survived for at least 2 years after undergoing DDF tenotomy.
• The Obel grade of lameness and body weight of horses at the time of surgery did not impact the 6-month or 2-year survival rate.
• The degree of rotation of the bone inside the hoof also did not affect the 2-year survival rate or the horse’s ability to undertake light riding post-surgery.
• Among the horse owners interviewed, 73% (22 out of 30) indicated that they would choose to repeat the procedure if faced with similar circumstances in the future.

Conclusions

• The findings suggest that DDF tenotomy could be a promising treatment for horses with chronic laminitis that don’t respond to standard treatments.
• Moreover, in certain cases, the procedure could potentially allow horses to return to light athletic activities.