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  Discussion on Rehab expectations for mild tendon injury
Author Message
New Member:
Babz

Posted on Monday, Aug 1, 2005 - 4:21 pm:

I have a 9 year old arab gelding who sprained his deep flexor tendon in early June 2005. He was ultrasounded and vet found no tears. She prescribed stall rest, plus hand walking for 15 min. a day. After two weeks, I was given permission to ride him at a walk for 20 minutes, adding 5 minutes per week. After 7 weeks of this, vet checked him out on Friday, and gave the ok to add 5 minutes of trot.

When I asked him to trot, he felt slightly "off". Is this to be expected at this point in his recovery? Or should there be no hint of lameness? Also, vet synovial sheath is still slightly swollen. The vet gave him a #1 on the flexion test, but wants to him to walk/trot in hopes of bringing down the swelling. He is still on stall rest for an additional 7 weeks.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 2, 2005 - 7:57 am:

Though without an exam we cannot know what would be expected with your horses injury it would not be unusual for a tendinitis to be lame for longer than 2 months. It would be unusual for a DDF tendinitis to be present without some amount of check ligament desmitis, has the horse also been checked for this? For more on this see the article on Flexor Tendinitis.
DrO
New Member:
Babz

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 2, 2005 - 11:54 am:

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question. I'll ask my vet about the check ligament desmitis.

Barbara
Member:
9193

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 2, 2005 - 8:59 pm:

HI Barbara,

Your question was very timely. Today I took our 15 yr TB for his third ultrasound recheck to measure his healing progress for his check ligament/SDF tendon/suspensory ligament injury.

He is under the care of Dr Carol Gillis whose tendon/ligament rehab program is featured here in HA.

After eleven weeks of graduated handwalking and three weeks of graduated walking under saddle, we have been given the OK to add five minutes of trot a day for the next eight weeks. (Two and a half minutes one way, take a fifteen minute walk break and same thing opposite direction.) Total riding time should be more than 30 minutes and no more than 45 minutes. We are only to trot if he is moving soundly. If he shows any signs of gimpiness or stiffness, we are to go back to walking. She explained that trotting lame means that the injury has not healed or that there may be another soft tissue injury that needs to be addressed.

Good Luck with your gelding.. It does take time to heal these injuries..Keep us posted on your progress!

Smiles,
Debra
New Member:
Babz

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 3, 2005 - 12:27 pm:

Thanks so much for your note, Debra!

I talked to my vet yesterday and she was concerned to hear that he was a little off at the trot. She instructed me to go back to walking under saddle only for 30 minutes for the next three weeks. She also said that she is concerned that the ultrasound may not have picked up another injury; if he isn't better in three weeks, he'll get an MRI.

Basically, what you wrote above, she confirmed.

Hope your TB continues to heal. My little arab is missing the summer entirely due to stall rest only for another seven weeks making a total of 12 weeks of confinement. Poor fellow.

Thanks again, Barbara.
Member:
9193

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 3, 2005 - 2:51 pm:

Your welcome Barbara,

It IS hard to wait out the winter months only to be laid up thruout the fun spring, summer and fall months with a long healing injury.. Our Justin really, really misses his turnouts in the big pasture with his buddies and we really, really miss seeing him out there with them..

Do you have other horses to ride or are you "grounded" too?

Best of Luck.. I wish you and your boy speedy healing!!

Debra
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