Splints is a horse or pony disease, characterized by a hard swelling, bone, usually inside the front of the forelimb, located between the splint and the bone of the cannon or on the splint itself. It may be "hot," meaning that it happened recently and still hurts; or "cold," which means that the splint has completely recovered and there is no more swelling or pain associated with it. Bucked shins are sometimes called 'shin splints,' which involve small stress fractures of the dorsal canon bone, often seen in racial training, and are discussed elsewhere.
Video Splints
Anatomy
The splint, (metacarpal or metatarsal II and IV), which are the remains of two of the five horse's prehistoric toes, ran on both sides of the cannon bone. They narrow as they go from carpal or tarsal together downward, and form "buttons" at the bottom or length, a few inches above the fetlock. The splint is attached to the cannon by an intermediate (suspensory) ligament, giving some mobility to the pony. At the age of the horse, the interosseous ligament is usually replaced by bone. In some older horses, the bone of the cannon and the splint can be completely melted.
Maps Splints
Cause
Direct trauma , such as from a nuisance injury or kick from another horse, is a common cause of splints. Periosteum is damaged by trauma, and the horse body puts new bone in the injured area. Splint caused by trauma is more often seen at the bottom of the foot than caused by tension. Splinting may occur on the front or back legs, in one leg or both. Severe trauma can break the splint. If at least displaced, and at the bottom, some heal well. Others may need surgical removal of some damaged splints.
Concussion is another cause of splints. The conusive forces run from the carpus or tarsus to the splint. Working on a horse on a hard surface increases the concussion received by the interosseous ligament, which causes tearing. Splint caused by concussion is usually found on both front legs, most often on the inside of the feet a few inches below the knee.
Overworking a young or improper horse with a speed or in a tight circle can cause splints. The uneven load of the uneven limb in the tight circle places an excessive force on the medial splint, which can cause it to move excessively relative to the bone of the cannon, causing tears in the interosseous ligament and periosteal reaction.
The Bench-kneed conformation causes excessive loading of the medial splint, which can cause splints.
Blind splints
Since the splint does have some independent mobility from the cannon bone, it can cause tension and tension in the splinte periosteum where the interosseous ligaments are attached. The horse will then put a new bone and the area will become inflamed. "Blind splints" are named because bone reactions occur on the inner border between the splint and the cannon bone, which is invisible, and usually not palpable. Besides causing pain as any active splinting reaction can, swelling can overwrite the suspensory ligament. This condition is difficult to diagnose, but ultrasound is generally diagnostic. MRI and CT also show this well.
Symptoms
Splint usually causes a slight whiteness (grades 1-2 out of 5). The wound area feels hot, painful, and inflamed with small swelling in the bone. However, splints do not always cause lameness, especially "cold". More severe delays are sometimes associated with cracked splints, or soft-tissue injuries adjacent to splints.
"Blind splints" usually produce a mild slope that is difficult to determine because there is no swelling, pain, or bone changes associated with the outer part of the splint. Occasionally, bone proliferation in the axial border of the spine can be seen radiographically, but ultrasound is much more sensitive to detect blind splints.
The body will eventually absorb some of the bones that are placed in the splint, flatten the splint for several months and may make it disappear completely. Splats involving cannons are more likely to disappear than those involving the spine itself.
Treatment
Horses should have a reduced workload for 1-3 weeks. If a coach does not reduce the workload adequately, and the splint continues to receive a concussion, the injury will continue or worsen. Light exercises in soft soil are best for horses with splints, as work can help encourage the growth of bones needed to heal splints. Coaches who care about the appearance of their horse cosmetics usually prefer to walk twice a day and keep the animal stopped until the splint is completed, thus eliminating the possibility that the splint is inadvertently hit during work and the swelling increases.
Several days of cold therapy, sweating, and NSAIDs can help splint "hot". NSAIDs can help reduce inflammation and help bone growth by doing so. However, none of these treatments are so effective. The most important factor is time. Counter-irritants, which increase inflammation, only inhibit bone formation and can actually prolong the healing process.
Surgery to remove the cracked end of the spine, especially in the lower third, usually works. However, surgical removal of bone growth in large splints, done by carving it, usually does not produce satisfactory results. Often, bone growth is stimulated by surgery, and the size of the splint increases. Only about one-third of the time the operation is altogether successful.
Prognosis
The prognosis is excellent in uncomplicated cases. Horses will be able to return to work completely after the inflammation and the pain stops. Although horses usually recover quickly, horses with "blind splints" may take longer because there may be impingement on the suspensory ligament. Splint calcifications are usually permanently deformed, although over the years, excessive calcification may be reabsorbed to some extent, sometimes to the point where the splint is no longer visible.
References
Source
King, Christine, BVSc, MACVSc, and Mansmann, Richard, VDM, PhD. "Equine Lameness." Equine Research, Inc. 1997. Pages 752-757.
External links
- X-rays
- Medical chart
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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