6 year old with hocks partially fused?

[Alterration]

My friend has given me permission to post.

Her horse was not xrayed at the prepurchase but passed flexions easily as a late 4 year old. He was in trailers behind as he frequently overreached and tore off his front shoes. Not the solution I would have applied but what’s done is done.

From the beginning of his training he balked but that’s not super unusual for a young horse. The problem has persisted so Xrays taken now, as a 6 year old show the hocks partially fused with little joint space. The vet said 30% chance injections will help.

Would you be considering chemical/surgical arthrodesis?

Her concern is that it’s systemic and he might have arthritis elsewhere. My suspicion is that it isn’t and might be the result of trailers on the hind shoes and work in a non-closed growth plate horse.

I do have the X-rays if anyone is interested in seeing them. A bute test is being done now to see if the behavior is in reaction to pain.

I feel so horrible for her. He got injured pretty shortly after she bought him with an eye injury that required a 9 month stall rest and now this…any thoughts/ideas/stories are welcome. I will pass them on to her.

[Plumcreek]

Do a search for Cunean Tenectomy surgery on COTH. The old extensive thread WAS in the Reference category before all the changes. Many other contributing factors to narrow joint space at an early age. Hopefully this horse is near a vet who understands and can talk about this surgery, otherwise contact the Colorado Vets mentioned in the old thread.

Found it: Cunean Tenectomy-Anyone have this done? - Archives / Reference - Chronicle Forums (chronofhorse.com)

[No1]

That’s not how arthritis works. It is not a systemic disease. Bad conformation, over use, repetitive use, injuries, among other things can cause arthritis in one or more joints. Super unlikely that a simple trailer created DJD.

Before I would consider chemical arthrodesis, I would try injections with an orthobiologic. +/- Adequan and Legend. Arthrodesis is not a one stop cure. Fusing bone can still be a drawn out process and the animal requires care and is in pain while it occurs.

As someone mentioned above, get a second opinion. Preferably, from a reputable sport horse vet. I have frequently seen the ‘local’ vet throw up their hands in a situation where a vet used to looking at sport horses goes ‘that’s not so bad. Let’s do xyz.’ Send the images to a reputable surgeon if your friend is seriously considering arthrodesis.

[Alterration]

@No1

That’s not how arthritis works. It is not a systemic disease. Bad conformation, over use, repetitive use, injuries, among other things can cause arthritis in one or more joints. Super unlikely that a simple trailer created DJD.

I think the thing that gets me about this is the “over use/repetitive use” - he hasn’t been. Horse has never been jumped. Has great conformation. He’s 6, and has been off for the last year for an unrelated issue (eye injury). As far as use goes, this horse is basically a clean slate at least post 4 year old. Now, prior to that is it possible that he was worked hard? Yes, I suppose so. He’s a saddlebred, and like the QH’s they do tend to start them rather early. But he would have been started in the lines/driving, not necessarily under saddle.

It’s just shocking to have the bone be this bad that they are saying there’s not necessarily enough joint space to inject in a 6 year old?

[SusanO]

Maybe this is a genetic default or developmental problem when the bone was forming? If the hock does not have the optimal form or cartilage I could see where it could develop arthritis despite light use.

[endlessclimb]

Absolutely not on the cunean tenectomy and surgical arthrodesis of the hocks. My Old Man had it done to both legs and it did precisely nothing.

We also tried the chemical fusing, and it did precisely nothing. That’s worth a shot though, as it’s standing and way less invasive.

I believe just a cunean tenectomy might be done standing as well. My vets indicated it’s an old method that didn’t work as a sole treatment. My Old Man’s were done as part of the surgical fusing.

Old Man is permanently lame behind, but still gets around fine. His were done as a 15 year old (? Somewhere in that range) though.

Your friend might consider equioxx. That was a game changer for the Old Man for many many years.

Edit: my suggestion is though, be aggressive and don’t eff around. If I hadn’t hemmed and hawwed with injections and magnet boots and this and that, kicking the can for another few months, the chemical fusing likely would have been able to take and the outcome would have been different. I still hold to a big honking NO on the surgical arthrodesis though. If it’s that bad, retire him and hope they fuse on their own.

[Plumcreek]

My 4 year old TB/QH just starting cross rail jumping was off behind on circles. X-rays showed extensive arthritis on lower hock joint surfaces, so much at 4 years that he was the topic of the big vet clinic weekly staff meeting. It was his straight hind leg conformation and tight Cunean tendons that were grinding his hock joint surfaces against each other with every step. Solved that issue, with a CT Surgery and he was very sound as a ~3’ hunter for the next 8 years or so, no joint intervention, until I sold him. He passed PPE flexions perfectly. Sometimes just conformation is the culprit.

[Plumcreek]

The “Old” Cunean Tenectomy surgery lacked a few significant wrinkles of the way our local sports medicine surgeons do it now. Other difference is to do it early as a preventative of further damage, not as a last resort. However, there are definite indicators as to whether a CT will help. Not always the right approach.