Any vets -Sprain to lateral branch of suspensory ligament

[Birker2020]

Anyone's horse ever suffered this injury?

Any idea how long your horse was off full work for?

My horse was diagnosed with a sprain of the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament in his near fore on the 28th June when it was scanned after he went lame on the 24th. He was put on 2 weeks box rest and walking in hand twice a day during this period, with pulsed magnotherapy and Long Wave ultrasound (my friend and fellow livery is a physio thank God, so has been wonderful helping to get him better).

The vet came out again on the 11th July and advised 3 weeks walk and three weeks walk and trot (ridden) with a hopeful return to work during the 6th week. I did three weeks walk three weeks walk/trot gradually building up the time to a total of 15 mins in the school and the last three days a little canter work, during this time he felt brilliant and we filmed him and watched back and no lameness on n/f but slight intermittent hopping on o/f which we worried was another injury or overcompensation. When the vet came out on the 19th August he watched the film and said the hopping was as a result of the suspensory injury and a re-scan showed no improvement on the four weeks previously. My physio friend is now ultrasounding his leg every day with LW ultrasound which will break down any fibrous tissues and help the ligament to heal. She stopped doing it on my request a couple of weeks before as I wasn't sure if I was covered on my insurance as I think I had a vet visit re this tendon four years before although I didn't make a claim but the insurance companies these days want to see all horses medical histories. I'm out of work at the moment and already guessing my claim is about £700.

Then the vet suggested that he may need shockwave therapy.

But I still don't know if I am covered on my insurance (NFU have a four week backlog of claims) and he said it would cost £600 (presume that is for a few treatments not just one!)

Any vets advise further. Totally trust my vet but wondered if you could put sometime scale on how long these injuries take to heal and are the horses every back to the way they were before. I compete unaff dressage, show jump and do fun rides and one day events. Am I likely to be able to do these things next year. Don't care how long it takes to get right just hoping I will get my lovely boy back again. Even if I don't he's here to stay.

 

[MiCsarah]

We have a horse at work who is a 1 star eventer who has just been diagnosed with this. She is on box rest and then have been advised to do just 6 weeks walking work. The vet has assured us that she will be back eventing by next year. Sorry I cant be much help as we are more or less n the same boat

 

[stencilface]

Just had mine diagnosed with an injury to his hind suspensory. He had been lame for a while, but not hopping and I thought it was just a muscle strain that woudl go away. He is having 3 shockwave treatments and restricted turn out and being stabled for 6 weeks. First 2 weeks I can wlka in hand. Next two weeks I can hack in walk. Can introduce trot after that.

He had bone scans, xrays, and ultrasound to get to this point as nothing (flexions etc) were conclusive as to where the lameness was. Bill came to £1900. Submitting to insurance tomorrow, fingers crossed!

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Hi, the issue with suspensory rehab is NOT to ride in a school, you need to ride on the roads or on firm surfaces formthe best chance of recovery, avoid school surface as they are deep and encourage over flexion, not good for suspensory rehab. I rehabbed my old boy from the same injury on a fore, didn't ride him at all in the school, the action of walk and trot on a hard surface encourages the ligament to heal in the right pattern. He eventually went on to do a full week at PC camp including all jumping etc a Year later, having done the original injury jumping grids at camp the year before.He has never been lame since. I would think you possibly cantered too soon also.