Tendon lacerations are a common and serious injury of horses. The gravity of the injury is dependent on a number or factors including:

• which tendon(s) are involved
• how much of the tendon is transected
• where the tendon is injured
• the amount of blunt trauma
• how badly contaminated the wound is

There is also an undefinable difference in the quality of the healing of tendinous structures between horses. The problem may be behavioral with some horses better able to rest the hurt leg than others.

Even though a serious injury, early diagnosis and treatment can yield a fair to good prognosis with tendon lacerations. This article discusses the anatomy, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of tendon lacerations.

The tendons are glistening white, thick, fibrous bands of connective tissue that connect the muscles to the bones. It is through the action of the muscles pulling on the tendons which then pull on the bones that movement occurs. In the horse all of the musculature is above the cannons and the action of the lower legs is controlled through these long tendons that traverse the hock or knees, cannon, and pastern. Terminating on the bone they control. The tendons down the front of the leg tend to extend it and so are called extensors. The tendons down the back of the leg are responsible for flexing the leg and keeping the leg up during standing and are called the flexors. Another important structure associated with the tendons as they traverse the joints are synovial sheaths. These sheaths secrete synovial fluid and along with the lining help the tendons slide over areas. Whether synovial structure are entered or not is an important therapeutic and prognostic finding ...more and images.