Orthopaedic Surgery

Improvements in anaesthesia, surgical technology and expertise, has improved success rates for the repair of some long bone fractures. The use of pre-surgical digital radiography and intra-surgical real-time fluoroscopic radiography has improved technical preparation and implant placement significantly. Significant numbers of horses now survive to fulfil a useful life.

The success of joint surgery has been revolutionised by the development of arthroscopic (‘key hole surgery’) technology and expertise. This has resulted in performance horses recovering better and returning to training earlier than was previously possible, with conventional arthrotomy techniques. Furthermore there are now few equine synovial cavities which are inaccessible to arthroscopic equipment. Thus arthroscopy has almost completely replaced traditional approaches to joints, tendon sheaths and bursae. However, attention is now focused on novel methods of articular resurfacing, which remains the next major challenge in joint surgery.

Joint, tendon sheath and bursal injuries and infections are relatively common equine problems, which can have a potentially fatal outcome. When diagnosed and treated early, using modern arthroscopic lavage and antibiotic bead implantation techniques, results have improved significantly.