Surgical arthrodesis for the treatment of osteoarthrosis of the proximal intertarsal, distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints in 30 horses: a comparison of four different techniques.

The research is a comparative study of four surgical techniques used in treating horse lameness arising from osteoarthrosis affecting certain joints. The study spanned seven years, and it involved 30 horses treated with surgical arthrodesis.

Summary of the Research

• The study aimed at assessing the efficacy of four different surgical techniques in treating osteoarthrosis in certain joints of horses. These particular joints included the proximal intertarsal, distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal. Osteoarthrosis in these joints leads to a condition known as lameness (impaired walking or movement) in horses.
• The study spanned seven years and involved 30 horses that were treated with surgical arthrodesis, a surgical procedure to remove the joint and allow the bone ends to grow together (fuse).
• Out of the 30 horses, 25 had the condition affecting only one hock (a joint in a horse’s hind leg), while five had it on both sides.

Results of the Research

• The results were presented depending on the specific joints affected and the success of the treatment measured by the horse’s recovery to sound health (ability to walk or move without impairment).
• In the group of horses where the disease affected the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints only, 14 out of 18 horses (78%) returned to sound health following the surgery.
• In the case of horses where the disease also affected the proximal intertarsal joint (making the condition more severe), only six out of 11 horses (55%) returned to sound health.
• The recovery status of one horse with the condition affecting the proximal intertarsal joint was not known or unavailable at the time of the study.

Conclusions from the Study

• The study concludes that the type of joint affected by osteoarthrosis in horses significantly impacts the result of the treatment via surgical arthrodesis.
• The surgical technique employed could potentially influence the treatment outcome although more detailed analysis is required to validate this claim.
• It also suggests that when osteoarthrosis affects the proximal intertarsal joint, the chance of full recovery decreases, pointing to the need for enhanced treatment procedures for such cases.