There is a growing body of evidence that uniaxial or biaxial ossification of the cartilages of the foot should not be discounted as irrelevant in a lame horse, especially if extensive. Potential causes of pain and lameness include primary injury of an ossified cartilage and/or the ipsilateral aspect of the distal phalanx, injury of the chondrocoronal or chondrosesamoidean ligaments and desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint.
Podiatry
Journal: Equine Veterinary Education
White line disease occurs secondary to a hoof wall separation. Clinical signs may vary from not being lame to severe lameness with rotation of the distal phalanx depending on the extent of the disease affecting the inner hoof wall. The author has found that removal of the hoof wall overlying the diseased area combined with the appropriate farriery is the most important aspect of therapy.
Journal: Equine Veterinary Education
Two competitive horses were presented for examination of chronic lameness; one associated with a hoof-wall deformity, the other with a firm mass over the dorsal pastern region. Radiographs revealed moderately radiopaque masses associated with both deformities. The lesions were characterised ultrasonographically as noninvasive, well-circumscribed heterogeneous masses. Computed tomographic examination of the second case revealed a well-defined, partially mineralised, bi-lobed mass with associated bony resorption of the underlying middle phalanx.
Journal: Veterinary Surgery
Objectives: To (1) describe the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of keratomas; (2) describe a CT- or MRI-assisted partial hoof wall resection technique for removal of keratomas; and (3) evaluate the morbidity and postoperative outcome of these horses.
Study Design: Case series.
Animals: Horses (n=10) with keratoma.
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal
Reasons for performing study: Abnormal epidermal stem cell regulation may contribute to the pathogenesis of equine chronic laminitis.
Objective: To analyse the involvement of p63, a regulator of epidermal stem cell proliferative potential, in chronic laminitis.
Methods: Epidermal tissues from skin, coronet and lamellae of the dorsal foot were harvested from 5 horses with chronic laminitis and 5 control horses. Tissues were analysed using histopathology, immunofluorescence microscopy and quantitative immunoblotting
Journal: Equine Veterinary Journal
Reasons for performing study: In the treatment of laminitis it is believed that reducing tension in the deep digital flexor tendon by raising the palmar angle of the hoof can reduce the load on the dorsal lamellae, allowing them to heal or prevent further damage.
Objective: To determine the effect of alterations in hoof angle on the load in the dorsal laminar junction.
Journal: Equine Veterinary Education
There is a large spectrum of radiological variants of the distal phalanx that can be seen in both sound and lame horses. Osteitis of the distal phalanx implies active inflammation, a diagnosis that can only be made supported by nuclear scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. Osteitis of the distal phalanx as a primary cause of lameness is relatively unusual, but may be the result of acute or chronic bone trauma or be associated with adjacent laminar disruption.
Category: Bone - Equine - Podiatry - Traumatology
Journal: Equine Veterinary Education
The medical records of 30 horses (18 Warmbloods, 7 draught horses, 3 other breeds and 2 of unknown origin) with chronic proliferative pododermatitis (canker) were reviewed and long-term outcome was obtained by telephone questionnaire. In 28/30 cases, the owner was the first to discover the problem. The disease was initially recognised as canker in only 5/28 cases, whereas in 10/28 cases a treatment for thrush had been continued for several months before referral. There was a similar prevalence in the fore (41) and hind (44) hooves; 13/30 horses had 4 hooves affected.
Journal: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science
The aim of this study was to develop a simple, inexpensive, and noninvasive technique for estimating the hoof surface area (HSA) of unshod horses under field conditions. It was hypothesized that HSA in horses can be extrapolated from simple linear hoof measurements. Two linear measurements—lateromedial width and dorsoplantar width—were obtained from all four feet of 57 unshod meat-type horses. Different algorithms for determining HSA were developed.
Journal: American Journal of Veterinary Research
Objective—To investigate the density of the primary epidermal lamellae (PEL) around the solar circumference of the forefeet of near-term fetal feral and nonferal (ie, domesticated) horses. Sample—Left forefeet from near-term Australian feral (n = 14) and domesticated (4) horse fetuses. Procedures—Near-term feral horse fetuses were obtained from culled mares within 10 minutes of death; fetuses that had died in utero 2 weeks prior to anticipated birth date and were delivered from live Thoroughbred mares were also obtained.
Category: Anatomic study - Equine - Podiatry