Surgical treatment of tarsometatarsal joint luxation in a miniature horse foal.

This study provides a first-time account of successful surgical intervention on a miniature horse foal that was suffering from a dislocated right tarsometatarsal joint. The treatment involved a reduction procedure, followed by internal fixation using two partially threaded Steinmann pins.

Overview of the Condition and Treatment

• The case involved a two-week-old Miniature Horse foal with a displaced right tarsometatarsal joint, a type of luxation or joint dislocation previously documented to occur in various joints within the equine tarsus (a cluster of bones in the hind limb).
• Treatment of this kind of condition has not been well documented, particularly in the case of distal intertarsal joint luxation.
• Common treatments for tarsal luxation include closed reduction and cast immobilisation, where the displaced bone is manually repositioned and the joint immobilised with a cast to facilitate healing.
• This case was unique in that it was treated with a combination of reduction and internal fixation using threaded Steinmann pins. A combination of internal fixation and external coaptation, or support, is considered to provide maximum stability and promote quicker recovery.

Process of the Treatment and Results

• To treat the displaced joint in this case, two partially threaded Steinmann pins were positioned through the tuber calcis (the equine equivalent of the human heel bone) into the proximal third metatarsus, referring to a part of the foal’s foot bone adjacent to the tarsus.
• The internal fixation procedure, completed with a method called “normograde” where pins are inserted in a forward direction, was combined with an external cast to fully support the joint during recovery.
• The report finds this kind of surgical intervention in such a young foal to be a success, paving the way for further exploration into this kind of treatment option for similar cases.