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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Surg / Diagnostic tenoscopy of the carpal sheath with a needle arth...
Veterinary surgery : VS2020; 49 Suppl 1; O38-O44; doi: 10.1111/vsu.13381

Diagnostic tenoscopy of the carpal sheath with a needle arthroscope in standing sedated horses.

Abstract: To investigate the use of a needle arthroscope for diagnostic tenoscopy of the carpal sheath in standing horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Six forelimbs for the cadaveric part of the study and six horses for the in vivo part of the study. Methods: Six cadaveric limbs were used to perform carpal sheath tenoscopy with a 1.2-mm-diameter needle arthroscope (65 and 100 mm long), followed by tenoscopy with a 4-mm arthroscope through a standard proximolateral approach. Then, unilateral standing carpal sheath tenoscopy was performed in six healthy sedated horses with a 65-mm-long needle arthroscope. Limbs were maintained in flexion during the procedure by using a custom-made splint and base. Degree of tenoscopic evaluation, safety, horse tolerance, and complications were recorded. Results: Visibility at the most distal aspect of the sheath was absent for the needle arthroscopes vs a standard arthroscope. The maneuverability with a 65-mm needle arthroscope was excellent and allowed exhaustive visualization of the proximal region of the carpal sheath in cadaveric limbs and standing horses (six of six). However, visualization of the intertendinous recess was partial in most horses (four of six) vs cadavers (complete in six of six) because of remaining flexor tendon tension in standing horses. No major complications were encountered. Conclusions: Standing carpal sheath tenoscopy allowed a safe and thorough evaluation of most structures in the proximal region of the sheath and offers an alternative diagnostic technique. Conclusions: Horses with unrewarding results after traditional imaging or that require an accurate diagnosis before treatment may benefit from this alternative procedure.
© 2020 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
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Publication Date: 2020-01-25 PubMed ID: 31981365DOI: 10.1111/vsu.13381Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study investigates the effectiveness of using a needle arthroscope for diagnosing conditions in the carpal sheath of standing, sedated horses, offering a potential alternative method to traditional imaging techniques.

Methods

  • The research used a two-pronged experimental approach: using both cadaveric limbs and live horses for the study.
  • Six cadaveric limbs were put through a carpal sheath tenoscopy using a 1.2-mm-diameter needle arthroscope (both 65 and 100 mm long). This was followed by tenoscopy with a 4-mm arthroscope using a standard proximolateral approach.
  • Following this, similar tenoscopy was performed on six healthy, sedated horses using a 65-mm-long needle arthroscope. The horses’ limbs were maintained in flexion during the procedure, aided by a custom-made splint and base.

Results

  • The visibility at the most distal part of the sheath was absent when needle arthroscopes were used, compared to standard arthroscopes.
  • The maneuverability of the 65-mm needle arthroscope was found to be excellent and provided exhaustive visualizations of the proximal region of the carpal sheath in both cadaveric limbs and standing horses (all six horses).
  • However, the visibility of the intertendinous recess was partial in most standing horses (four out of six horses) in contrast to the cadavers (complete visibility in all six). This was due to the remaining flexor tendon tension in standing horses.
  • During the course of the study, no major complications were reported.

Conclusions

  • The results suggest that tenoscopy with standing carpal sheath allows for a safe and comprehensive evaluation of most structures in the proximal area of the sheath.
  • As such, horses requiring an accurate diagnosis before undergoing treatment, or those showing unsatisfying results after traditional imaging, could potentially benefit from this alternative diagnostic technique.

Cite This Article

APA
Miagkoff L, Bonilla AG. (2020). Diagnostic tenoscopy of the carpal sheath with a needle arthroscope in standing sedated horses. Vet Surg, 49 Suppl 1, O38-O44. https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13381

Publication

Veterinary surgery : VS
ISSN: 1532-950X
NlmUniqueID: 8113214
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 49 Suppl 1
Pages: O38-O44

Researcher Affiliations

Miagkoff, Ludovic
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal,St Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.
Bonilla, Alvaro G
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal,St Hyacinthe, Q, Canada.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Arthroscopes / veterinary
  • Arthroscopy / instrumentation
  • Arthroscopy / methods
  • Arthroscopy / veterinary
  • Cadaver
  • Forelimb / surgery
  • Horses / surgery
  • Needles / adverse effects
  • Tendons / surgery

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This article includes 25 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Carmalt JL, Pimentel KL. The Equine Temporomandibular Joint: Comparisons Between Standard and Needle Arthroscopic Examination of Cadaver Specimens and Standing Horses. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:876041.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.876041pubmed: 35558885google scholar: lookup
  2. Kerbert MP, Delling U, Verhaar N. Gross anatomy, computed tomographic contrast tenography, and needle endoscopy of the equine medial digital flexor tendon sheath. Vet Surg 2025 Aug;54(6):1133-1144.
    doi: 10.1111/vsu.14263pubmed: 40223504google scholar: lookup
  3. Woods TDC, Dixon J, Fraser BSL, Melvaine C. Computed Tomographic Tenography of the Equine Carpal Flexor Tendon Sheath. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2025 Mar;66(2):e70019.
    doi: 10.1111/vru.70019pubmed: 40059445google scholar: lookup
  4. Breen LJ, Stack JD, Gillen AM, Baldwin CM. Needle tenoscopy of the digital flexor tendon sheath in a standing equine cadaver model using a novel approach and guided palmar/plantar annular ligament desmotomy. Vet Surg 2025 Apr;54(3):524-533.
    doi: 10.1111/vsu.14213pubmed: 39911071google scholar: lookup
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