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  Discussion on Another Navicular SynDrOme question
Author Message
Member:
Miamoo

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2005 - 10:59 am:

Hi Dr. O,

I am still trying to understand what is not completely understood by even the professionals (talk about trying to hit your head against a cement wall repeatedly).

With the reading I have done they primary shoeing treatment for Navicular SynDrOme horses is the stand them up and break them over shoeing, in other words short toe, lift heal. They do this to remove stress from the digital flexor tendon. O.K. I get that.

Then some sources go on to say that the horses that are predisposed to this synDrOme are those with upright conformation, Long heal/straight hoof such as quarter horses.

Other sources say that those horses that have been shod with low underrun heals and long toes are the ones most likely to have navicular synDrOme.

It just seems so contradictory. If it is the straight foot long heal horses that are predisposed, why are we shortening toes and putting in wedges to stand them up?

Why do some sources say straight long heals are an issue and others say long toe/low heal. Or is it both sides of the middle (too upright or too long an low) can cause foot problems?

Is it truly that poorly understood or am I just not tho one understanding?

Ella :-)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2005 - 11:42 am:

You have a mistaken notion Ella that navicular synDrOme is one disease. It actually is a constellation of diseases that all localize to the navicular (heel) region. Being unable to differentiate these diseases on exam and work-up treatment becomes a trial and error affair. As our understanding of blocks and we have developed more tools for imaging this area it is getting better with fewer unknowns, but there are still a large percentage of those where the origin of the pain remains unknown.

It is true that too low or too upright are both more stressful on particular structures of the foot.
DrO
Member:
Miamoo

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2005 - 12:22 pm:

If I squint I can see a bit through the fog.

The fact that Navicular SynDrOme is from many different causes is why some issues resolve and some are permanent, some manageable and others cause irreparable lameness, why some respond to one kind of shoeing and others don't? If you can pinpoint where the particular issue is coming from (which structures and where the pain originated) you are more likely to understand how to treat it. Is this true?

Upright confirmation would probably cause issues from concussion or bruising as there is no flexion to absorb the pounding while low heal long toe would be more likely to cause soft tissue strain and stress from over stretching of the digital flexor tendon or other soft tissue structures. Completely different issues but pain resulting in the same area. Is this correct?

Ella :-)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Oct 6, 2005 - 6:37 am:

Both better understand treatment and that all important prognosis Ella. I agree that upright conformation increases concussion and low conformation increases strain but either in the form of improper trimming further increases strain on soft tissue.
DrO
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