Treatments and Prognosis for Subchondral Cystic Lesions in the Distal Extremities in Thoroughbred Prospect Racehorses.
Abstract: Subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) in equines and their treatments have been mainly studied in the medial femoral condyle of the femur. SCLs in the distal extremities affecting the fetlock or interphalangeal joints are frequent, but treatment or prognosis studies in horses are currently sparse. Our objective was to compare four treatments for SCLs in the distal extremities (intralesional injection of corticosteroids, transcortical drilling, cortical screw placement, and absorbable hydroxyapatite implant placement) and report the racing prognoses for affected thoroughbred yearlings. Data from 113 thoroughbred yearlings treated for SCLs in the distal extremities were collected from 2014 to 2020. Age at surgery, sex, bone affected, radiographic SCL measurements, SCL shape, and type of treatment were recorded. Sale data and racing performance were collected for the operated horses and for 109 maternal siblings that were free of SCLs. An analysis was conducted to assess if SCL size affected racing prognosis and to detect differences in sale value and selected racing parameters between the cases and controls. The outcomes for the different treatments, the different bones affected, and the SCL shape type were also analyzed. There was no difference in the ability to start in a race between the cases and controls (60.2% vs. 69.7%, respectively). The auction value of the treated horses was significantly lower than that of their siblings. The bone affected did not impact any of the racing variables studied, whereas the height of the SCLs negatively affected the number of wins and placed races. The type of treatment for the horses affected by SCLs did not have an impact on sale prices, ability to start a race, race starts, wins, and places, or age at the time of the first start. In conclusion, yearlings diagnosed with an SCL in the distal extremities had lower auction prices and decreased racing performances, with lower numbers of wins correlated with larger SCL heights compared to the siblings. Similar racing performance was found regardless of the treatment received.
Publication Date: 2023-09-07 PubMed ID: 37760238PubMed Central: PMC10525349DOI: 10.3390/ani13182838Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research investigates the various treatments for Subchondral Cystic Lesions (SCLs) in the distal extremities of thoroughbred prospect racehorses, and how these treatments impact their future racing performance and sale prices. The study found that the type of treatment given did not have a significant effect on the horses’ racing record or their age at their first race, but did observe that the auction value of treated horses was generally lower than that of their siblings.
Research Methodology
- The study analyzed data from 113 thoroughbred yearlings treated for SCLs in the distal extremities between 2014 and 2020.
- Information collected included the age at surgery, sex, bone affected, radiographic SCL measurements, SCL shape, and type of treatment.
- The researchers also collected sale data and racing performance for the horses treated as well as for their unaffected maternal siblings, which acted as controls in the study.
Findings
- An analysis was carried out to determine if SCL size impacted the racehorses’ prognosis, as well as to spot differences in the sale value and chosen racing parameters between the test subjects and controls.
- No difference was observed in the ability to start in a race between the treated horses and the controls.
- The auction value of the treated horses was found to be significantly lower than that of their siblings.
- The bone affected by the SCLs did not have an impact on any of the studied racing variables.
Impact of SCL size
- The research showed that the height of SCLs negatively influenced the number of wins and placed races.
- The type of treatment applied to horses with SCLs did not alter sale prices, the ability to start a race, race starts, wins, placed races, or the age of the horse at the start of its first race.
Conclusion
- The research found that yearlings diagnosed with an SCL in the distal extremities have lower auction prices and reduced racing performance.
- There is a correlation between larger SCL heights and lower numbers of victories.
- Racing performance results were similar across different types of treatments given to the horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Pérez-Nogués M, López-Sanromán J, Spirito M, Manso-Díaz G.
(2023).
Treatments and Prognosis for Subchondral Cystic Lesions in the Distal Extremities in Thoroughbred Prospect Racehorses.
Animals (Basel), 13(18), 2838.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182838 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital, 4747 SW 60Th St., Ocala, FL 34474, USA.
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
- Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, 4250 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511, USA.
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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