Surgical: Inferior check ligament desmotomy (most successful for DIP joint); superior check ligament desmotomy for fetlocks; tenotomy as a salvage procedure.
Osteochondrosis (Osteochondritis Dissecans, OCD)
Core Definition: A failure of endochondral ossification resulting in lesions of articular cartilage or subchondral bone in young horses.
Multifactorial Etiology: Rapid growth, high-carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, genetics, and biomechanical trauma.
Clinical Manifestations:
Nonpainful joint effusion (distention) is the most common sign, particularly in the tarsocrural (hock) and femoropatellar (stifle) joints.
Lameness may be absent or mild, except in cases involving the shoulder (severe lameness/muscle atrophy) or loose fragments in training yearlings.
Diagnostic Methods:
Radiography: Primary tool for identifying intra-articular osteochondral fragments.
Arthroscopy: Required to identify lesions restricted solely to the cartilage that are not visible on radiographs.
Management & Treatment:
Conservative: Restricting exercise and decreasing feed intake to slow growth; ensuring proper copper/mineral supplementation.
Surgical (Treatment of Choice):Arthroscopic removal of fragments, debridement of damaged cartilage, and joint lavage.
Physitis (Epiphysitis, Physeal Dysplasia)
Core Definition: Inflammation of the growth plate (physis) in young horses.