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  Discussion on Groin Injury
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New Member:
Redback

Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 9:05 pm:

Hi:
I've joined this forum because I cannot find anyone in Australia that knows about horse groin injuries. The story:
4yo pacing mare. Injured after purchase but before delivery. Previous owner claims nothing happened.
Mutiple vets and chiropractors e.t.c felt she may have slid on belly. Had a scare in whirlbone area and a multitude of problems including wasting when she turned. I brought an infrasound machine and had considerable success. All back and rump issues solved. Horse still sore.
Anything above a jog she compresses her body and will seriously kick out at driver. She is sensitive in belly, flank area. Finally had an experienced horseman check her and test her for groin injury and it was clearly the case as she goes of her tree if touched or manipulated in this area. Man says there is nothing you can do.
What do people think. Is there a treatment for groin strains. It is clearly a severe injury as she has had 6 months rest and 14 months since injury.
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 11:16 pm:

Does she move soundly?

Could she have a fractured bone somewhere in her pelvic region?
New Member:
Redback

Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 12:36 am:

Thank you for replying Holly. She is not visibly lame in anyway, not to my eye anyway. She moves in a straight line. She was cantering around the paddock before she went into work okay. I would think given the time a fracture would also have healed? It is a little bit like an Australian Rules footballer with a groin injury can run around alright but when you go to kick the ball it's hurts and you can't do it.
Member:
Paul303

Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 2:38 am:

Interesting....any chance she could have developed ulcers?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 8:14 am:

Welcome Geoff,
Without any signs of lameness, I think the cause of the problem, "kicking at the driver when driven above a jog" remains uncertain. Basing the diagnosis on the physical finding that she does not like being touched in the groin is problematic, there are some mares who behave this way that do not have any identifiable disease. It just would be uncommon for a horse to be so sore to palpation while standing then perfectly sound at a trot or pace. Ulcers have been known to cause such behavior problems as have tumors on the ovaries.

If we assume you are correct and the horse has pulled a muscle of the inner thigh, there is very little more than rest and NSAID's that is likely to be helpful. Perhaps a better diagnosis/ treatment plan/ prognosis could be built around an ultrasound of the injured area.
DrO
New Member:
Redback

Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006 - 5:26 pm:

Thank you Dr O. Do you know how we would go about testing for ulcers and tumors?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 8:15 am:

Yes we have articles on both of this conditions:
  • Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Gastric Ulcers
  • Equine Diseases » Reproductive Diseases » Trouble Settling Mares & Stallion Infertility » Granulosa Cell Tumors in Mares

DrO
New Member:
Redback

Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006 - 6:11 pm:

Thank you Dr O and Lee:
I've asked the trainer to do a progestereone test. That should be known in a few days. I personally feel that she eats too well and is too healthy generally for it to be ulcers but we'll see how she goes with the progestereone test. When I first got her she was quite aggressive and would be snakey with ears back. Never dangerous just strange, as she is mostly very nice in nature. Every now and again she returns to this behaviour.
I'll keep ulcers as the second option to investigate as she was a lot happier at home and running around when she could eat pasture all day. She can't do that at the trainers.

14 months seems a long time for a groin injury to
recover and her reaction is worse now than when we started, so it would appear that if it is that we are in a lot of trouble.

Thanks For your help.
Member:
Paul303

Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 2:32 am:

Geoff: You just described my QH/TB mare! She spent 5 days hospitalized last Feb. with ulcers. She wasn't quite as aggressive as your's, but boy, don't touch her behind the girth. I thought it was leftover touchiness from her show career, or some old issue from being a brood mare - she was just too glossy, glowing and gorgeous to have an ulcer problem! Now that she has completed treatment, I can just about sit under her belly while I scrub it and she'll just about fall asleep! An astounding change. Best of luck!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 7:06 am:

It is not the time effected that is important from a diagnostic standpoint but that lameness is not a predominant clinical sign suggest other possible causes. The time is worrisome from a prognostic stand point unless you can find a treatable problem.
DrO
New Member:
Redback

Posted on Friday, May 19, 2006 - 12:30 am:

Hi Everyone:
I got the lab test back for progesterone levels. They did not know about Inhibin. I've since found out that someone else can do that test. The lab reports that she had a reading of 6.7ng/ml and that this was normal for a non pregnant mare. I have read that anything greater than 1 ng/ml is what you want. Is there such a thing as having too higher level? As 6.7 sounds a long way off 1.

So from that I gather that I should dismiss the ovarian tumour as a possible cause?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 6:58 pm:

No your levels are fine, progesterone varies tremendously during her cycle and certainly make GCT unlikely.
DrO
Member:
Redback

Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 8:30 pm:

Thank you, sorry to be annoying. So getting back to groin injury. Is there actually a muscle called the groin? Where is its attachment points and what sort of stretching tests could I do to identify the area of most soreness?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 8:00 am:

Our medical dictionary defines the groin as: "the area where the thigh meets the hip". But I would add that it is the medial (inner)aspect of this junction. There are a number of legs muscles, chiefly responsible for adduction, that attach on the pelvis at this junction and when humans report groin injuries they are usually talking about the adductor muscle group. This is the group you feel when you try to do a "split".
DrO
Member:
Redback

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 20, 2006 - 3:23 am:

Hello Again:
I'm back where I started. Today I started using my infrasound machine on my horse. She accepted it throughout her inside offside rear. But the near side she would not let me treat it. Raising leg to kick and swishing tail. Beginning from just above stifle, inside and moving up and back of the inside leg. I'm convinced that she has serious injury in her abductor muscle. Given that it is now an 18 month old injury do people consider certain type of injections to assist in either possible scar reduction on muscle relaxation?
I know you'll say get some ultrasound pictures e.t.c but really I know what is wrong and I'm reluctant to spend money in this way. I'm really after treatments now rather than diagnosis.

Regards
Geoff
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