Use of cancellous bone graft in treatment of navicular bone osteomyelitis in a foal.

This research reports on how cancellous bone grafting was used to treat a three-month-old foal with navicular bone osteomyelitis in its hind foot after stepping on a fence staple.

Background and Problem

• The subject of this study was a 3-month-old Quarter Horse filly that had stepped on a fence staple. This resulted in navicular bone osteomyelitis, an infection and inflammation of the navicular bone located in the horse’s hindfoot.

Treatment

• The infected area, a 1.5-cm spherical portion of medullary cavity filled with purulent material, was debrided and cleansed with a 0.9% NaCl (sodium chloride) solution.
• For grafting, cancellous bone (spongy bone tissue found at the end of long bones and in the inner part of vertebrate bones) was harvested from a caudal sternebra (a specific segment of the horse’s chest bone).
• This harvested bone was placed into the defect created by the infection and debridement process.

Recovery and Results

• Six weeks after the procedure, the solar defect (wound on the bottom of the horse’s foot) had filled up with granulation tissue, a type of tissue generated in the healing process, and was epithelialized, meaning a new surface layer of tissue had formed.
• At a 6-month follow-up examination, the navicular bone defect had healed completely and the foal was able to move freely without pain or limp, indicating soundness on the limb.

Conclusion

• The study suggests that cancellous bone grafting could be an effective treatment method for navicular bone osteomyelitis in horses. However, broader research would be helpful in establishing this as a standard treatment.