Osseous abnormalities associated with collateral desmopathy of the distal interphalangeal joint. Part 2: treatment and outcome.

This research studies the long-term healing results of horses with collateral ligament injury, with and without related bone abnormality, and evaluates the impact of shock wave therapies on recovery. The results suggest minor to moderate bone injuries do not affect prognosis compared to ligament injury alone.

Objective and Methodology

The aim of this study was to review the long-term healing results of horses diagnosed with collateral ligament (CL) injury, with or without related bone abnormalities. The researchers also looked at the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ECSWT) and radial pressure wave therapy (RPWT) on recovery. They expected the prognosis for horses with CL-related bone injury to be worse than for those with a CL injury alone.

The research method involved an analysis of magnetic resonance images from 313 feet of 289 horses diagnosed with collateral desmopathy of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint. The analysis involved checking for the presence of associated bone abnormality linked with the ligament origin or insertion and the middle and distal phalanges. The horses were categorized based on their combination of injuries, the treatments given were recorded, and follow-up information was collected.

Results and Findings

• The follow-up data included 182 horses, 55 of which had follow-up information for up to 2 years post presentation.
• In terms of recovery to their previous performance level, 27% of horses with only a CL injury and 34% of horses with a CL related bone injury were able to return.
• The prognosis for a mix of injuries to different soft tissue and bone structures within the hoof capsule was considerably worse.
• The study found no effect of ECSWT or RPWT on the healing outcome.

Conclusions

• The presence of minor to moderate CL related bone injury does not seem to significantly influence the healing prognosis when compared with horses with a CL injury alone.
• The authors stress that additional research involving a larger sample size of horses is necessary to determine whether specific types of bone pathologies influence their return to previous performance levels.