Management of arytenoid chondropathy and failed laryngoplasty in horses: 75 cases (1979-1985).

The research investigates the occurrence and treatment of arytenoid cartilage abnormalities and failed laryngoplasty in horses, involving 75 cases studied from 1979 to 1985.

Study Population

• The study uses a sample population of 75 horses identified with respiratory noise and/or exercise intolerance. This formed the basis for the presumption of structural abnormalities in the arytenoid cartilage or failed laryngoplasty.
• The demographic distribution of the sample is skewed towards racing horses, which account for 88% of the total sample including Thoroughbred (72%) and Standardbred (16%). Non-racing horses only account for 12% of the sample.
• The majority of the racehorses are young, aged between 2 to 4 years, while all non-racehorses are older than 4 years. The sample also demonstrates a gender bias towards males, with a male to female ratio of 2:1.

Disorders and Surgical Interventions

• The horses in the study were found to have arytenoid cartilage abnormalities (60 primary cases and 11 cases after previous laryngeal surgery) or had failed left laryngoplasty (4 horses) for laryngeal hemiplegia while still appearing to have normal arytenoid cartilage.
• Among the horses with cartilage disorders, the abnormalities were fairly widely distributed, with 28 having left-sided involvement, 22 with right-sided disorders, and 21 with bilateral issues.
• The primary surgical procedure utilized was arytenoidectomies, with 62 operations performed in total.
• Most arytenoidectomies were performed for cartilage abnormalities (58 cases), while 4 performed for failed left laryngoplasties.

Outcomes and Follow-ups

• The success rate of the treatment varied among the different types of horses. For Thoroughbred racehorses that returned to racing after surgery, 45% raced successfully. The success rate was higher for horses with left-sided issues (50%), reduced for those with right-sided trouble (75%), and much lower for cases with bilateral problems (22%).
• The Standardbred racehorses demonstrated a lesser success rate with only 20% being able to return to racing.
• However, for non-racehorses, the recovery and return to their previous use was recorded to be substantial and promising, with a return rate of 75%.
• The study also noted that many horses were intentionally retired after surgery, but didn’t provide specific data in this regard.