Surgical management of chronic laminitis in horses: 13 cases (1983-1985).

This article presents a study on the effectiveness of surgical treatment, specifically deep digital flexor tenotomy, for chronic laminitis in horses which is non-responsive to other treatments.

Overview of the Research

• The study focuses on how effectively the deep digital flexor tenotomy procedure can be used as a last resort treatment for horses suffering from chronic resistant laminitis. Chronic laminitis is a severe and painful inflammation of the soft tissues (the laminae) connecting the horse’s hoof to the underlying bone, which can lead to debilitating effects if not managed effectively.
• A total of 13 horses with this condition were included in the research, all of which were treated using deep digital flexor tenotomy on all the affected limbs. This surgical procedure involves the cutting of the deep digital flexor tendon at the level of the midpastern to relieve the tension and pressure caused by inflammation.

Outcomes of the Study

• Postsurgery, among the 13 horses, five of them were able to return to limited athletic activities, showing that the procedure allowed them to regain some functionality.
• Six other horses were not able to return to athletic activity but demonstrated an improvement as they were able to comfortably stay in the pasture – a positive outcome considering the severity of their conditions.
• One horse showed clinical improvement but was unfortunately euthanized due to economic reasons, suggesting that while the surgery was successful, financial considerations can impact the overall treatment plan.
• The remaining one horse improved initially after the surgery but deteriorated significantly nine months later and was eventually euthanized.

Conclusions from the Research

• The results of the study showed that deep digital flexor tenotomy at the level of the midpastern can be effectively used as a salvage operation for horses with chronic refractory laminitis.
• It’s important to note that although the surgery showed promising results in most cases, it did not significantly improve the condition in all horses. The variability of outcomes suggests that individual horse characteristics and varying severity of laminitis likely play a role in the efficacy of the surgery.