Check Ligament Injury... Suggested treatments?

TeamWazz

TeamWazz

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My horse slipped out hacking (proper bambi style) last Friday and immediately felt wrong.

The vet came out this Thursday when it wasn't appearing to get much better from cold hosing and box rest (he was looking sounder from 3/10ths in walk to around 1/10th but swelling and heat still present) Due to other commitments I couldn't be there for the visit but the vet phoned to tell me the news. He has a reasonably decent sized hole in his inferior check ligament in the near fore. I didn't ask percentages of the fibre compromised because I was in a bit of shock. He has recommended platelet rich plasma treatment so he is going in on Tuesday for that.

However I spoke to my vet at home, on the phone, who is a family friend as well as lameness specialist (the vet here is just uni term time, and if I'm honest doesn't come with the best reviews). He has suggested looking at stuff like shock wave therapy or stem cell as well as, but he can't say anything for sure because he hasn't seen the scans.

My head is reeling as he's only came back from a fracture injury this January. Anyone experienced check ligament injuries and if so what did you do? Money is no issue as he is insured I just want to do right by him and whatever is best.
 
I am sorry for you.

My lad did a hind check and the vet (equine hospital) said he had never seen such a mess describing it as a 'mush'.

I think you need to be advised by the expert for appropriate treatments, but the reality is a long time off work and a period of box rest as it will be time that heals it. Good luck.
 
Yep, as AA says. My mare has done both front legs. . The first was caused by her putting her foot down a hole on my local gallops :(:( Like you, OP, we were just coming back from a fracture - hind splint bone so I'd hired the gallops to have some decent surfaces for starting canter work again -oh, the irony.
She did a proper job on that - another that looked like mush on the scan. Huge swelling though after the first couple of days she rarely took a lame step.

As I had full insurance at that point my vets recommended PRP. They suggested that instead of stem cell because in their experience the results were about the same, and the PRP was loads cheaper (leaving plenty in the insurance budget for repeat scans etc). I have no idea whether the PRP did any good. She did it in the February, by August I was back on board starting hacking, and by Christmas I was in the school again. I did loads and loads of box rest, then when the scan was good enough, loads of in hand walking. Small pen turnout etc. She was 17 when she did that, so her age probably meant the healing time was slow.

She did the other leg cavorting in the field. I knew immediately that's what it would be. This time she wasn't lame after the first day, and on the scan it's a tiny tiny lesion. But it's taking forever to heal again. She did it in May, I was hacking by September, we are just starting in the school but only walk and trot. I did no box rest this time as the weather was decent - she had a stable sized pen in the field.
I had a different vet (same practice) to look at this leg and she said she wouldn't bother with stem cell or PRP, as ligaments do heal on their own, they just take forever as poor blood supply etc.


It's all about time and patience and careful careful rehab :( Try the PRP if it's recommended, you have nothing to lose by doing it.

At least it's the check ligament...i console myself with that. If she had to injure anything the check ligament is probably the least-worst. :(
 
Thanks guys, I am just trying to find what's going to work best for him!

The vet has said 4-6 months before a return to full work looking at a month box rest before scanning and field rest for a month then seeing where we are then.

Just interested in everyone else's experiences with check ligament injuries. My vet said the same - check ligament the best to do... If you have to do one!
 
TeamWazz said:
Thanks guys, I am just trying to find what's going to work best for him!

The vet has said 4-6 months before a return to full work looking at a month box rest before scanning and field rest for a month then seeing where we are then.

Just interested in everyone else's experiences with check ligament injuries. My vet said the same - check ligament the best to do... If you have to do one!
Click to expand...

My youngster did a check ligament, but it was in 1998 and I can't really remember the details. Just wanted to say that my current horse has had PRP about four years ago and it is a very good form of treatment, and works very well. He was only in the vets from arrival to discharge about an hour and 3/4's. He did really well on the leg and I was very pleased with his treatment and progression and we went back to jumping again fine, for about 18 months. Then he got his leg stuck in a wheelbarrow whilst I was at work and damanged the leg all over again, back to square one. But he came back from it fine.
 
I have nursed a few through this .
We used extensive cold therapy at first box rest ( twelve weeks ) and the more recent two had shock wave therapy .
I also used equissage hand unit on the later ones all went back to work no problems
 
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