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  Discussion on Tendon, spavin, navicular disease or all of them?
Author Message

Posted on Monday, Oct 9, 2000 - 7:39 pm:

Dear Dr.O:
My 13 y.o Selle-Français stallion had a carbon fiber implant surgery done to his flexor tendon (left fore) 4 years ago. Before that he was jumping (grade A)in this country (Portugal) and in France. After the surgery he never went to a show again, but we've been bringing him on slowly, under the vet's supervision, and the surgery site has been monitored through echographies, which have shown that the recovery is complete (there's some scar tissue, though, but the vet says it's normal and the fibers are properly realined). We have already been jumping the horse at home without any problem, except that for about the last two or three months he's been showing intermitent lameness, which sometimes seems to affect his right hind, and other times clearly affects the left fore. The vet has done some x-rays and diagnosed a spavin (right hind) but he says it's so mild it shouldn't justify the lameness. On the other hand he says that the horse suffers from navicular disease on both fore limbs, and he prescribed a course of Adequan a few years ago (before the tendon surgery). Now the horse's tendon (surgery site) appears swollen after work, but the last echography doesn't show anything serious, just a slight inflamation below the limit of the scar tissue. I must say that the vet has even donne nerve blocks to try and establish a more definite diagnosis, but he seems to be in a "muddle" as we are! I'm sorry this is such a long message, and I wonder if you can help or make any suggestion. Thank you very much in advance.
Alexandra Forte

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 10, 2000 - 7:41 am:

Hello Maria,
If you could give me the information that would lead to a diagnosis you would have the diagnosis already. So I really can't help you there directly but I do have some suggestions.

I do recommend that before you tackle the "sometimes seems" lameness you tackle the "clearly affects" lameness. Often solving the obvious makes the less obvious go away also. To learn more about the characteristics and diagnosis of spavin (arthritis of the hocks) and navicular disease I refer you to those particular articles. But first study the article on the diagnosis of lameness: it gives a clear cut plan to follow for difficult lameness problems.
DrO

Posted on Monday, Nov 12, 2001 - 4:58 am:

What you think of RGTA ( Regenerating agents , heparan sulfate analogs ) new french treatment?

Posted on Monday, Nov 12, 2001 - 9:40 am:

Hello Cornic,
Instead of posting your question at the bottom of someone else's discussion you should create your own. You will get more responses and it helps others find related information better.

This may be an appropriate forum for your topic (are you asking about treating teendon injuries?), so just back up to the Page where the article and discussions on this topic are listed and there is a "Create A New Discussion" button at the bottom. Just click on it and it will tell you what to do. The easiest way to navigate to the article/forum page is using the navigation bar at the top of this page amd selecting Flexor Tendinitis.

Once there take the time to read the article on this topic, your question is already answered in the article. If after reading the article you still have questions post the question by pushing the Create a New Conversation button. Thank you.

For more information on this see the READ THIS FIRST topic beside every Add a Message button. Thank You.
DrO
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