Collateral Ligament Injury

Casper_cb

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Hi,
This is the first time I've posted in veterinary. I was wondering if anyone has had experience of a horse that has had a collateral ligament injury.

My horse following months and months of tests, being turned away and bought back into work, remaining sound at 2 BE PN events this season then going lame again has finally had it diagnosed. Initially vets thought it was back, then stifle/ hock, in fact anything other than what the problem was back in July. As of the start of April he started going lame, he's was perfectly sound, 100%, then 15 minutes of work, whether it be on the lunge without any training aids or ridden, he goes hopping lame on the off hind. He walks it off and is then sound for 5 minutes, then lame again.

Anyway, I sent him to horsepital and they blocked him up, narrowed it down to the internal structure of the hoof and an MRI showed desmitis of the medial collateral ligament in the off hind by the coffin joint. The vets prognosis is unknown, they're being ever pessimistic as they've never seen this kind of injury in a hind leg and are treating it as they would a front leg injury. So much so he's got front foot remedial shoes on his hind feet.

I was wondering if any of you have ever heard of this kind of injury in a hind leg/ front leg? I'm hoping remedial shoeing and time off will help and then hopefully he'll come sound enough to do some dressage with?

Thank you for taking the time to read.
 

summertoots

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Yes, but in the front leg. She pulled a shoe off in the field and in doing so gave herself a damage. It took 18 months and a fantastic farrier to get her sound, but she has been since feb (touch wood) she is jumping again, and last week she had a cross country school and remained sound...that was the first jumping on gras she has done since her injury. She is not going to event again, but she is jumping at home and doing a few working hunters.
God luck with your horse and keep your chin up x
 

Marchtime

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Never heard of it in a hind leg. Sammy ruptured his in a fore leg about seven years ago now. The diagnosis took too long as back then MRI wasn't routinely used. He ended up travelling to New Market for an MRI where he was diagnosed. By the time of diagnosis the ligament had ruptured. He was 8yrs old and lame in walk on two bute twice a day. He was pts.
Jesper was diagnosed roughly eighteen months ago, maybe a bit more now. His diagnosis was quicker and his injury is in his right fore. Vets at Liphook were doom and gloom. These injuries don't tend to do well. He was turned away for nine months (only treatment known for front legs is remedial shoeing and prolonged rest) and returned to work as a light hack. He was intermittently shuffling on his injured fore. We spent a year with vets and farriers working to keep him sound for hacking. Sadly he also has an old hind suspensory injury on his left hind and the diagonal pair weakness has exaccerbated both injuries. He was retired earlier this year, however is field sound on no meds.
Never heard of it in a hind. Might be worth a call to NewMarket as Sue Dyson is the leading expert on this injury. A good farrier is key in the treatment along with lots of rest. Sadly with front leg damage very few return to competion work with some making it back to work as a hack. Sorry to be doom and gloom but not the best injury in the world.
Cellie on here has a horse with this injury along with a few others.
 

cyearsley

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My friends horse had a collateral ligament injury (diagnosed with MRi after a long period of intermittend lameness, tiem off etc and was in the front not hind) my horse at the same time had a tendon injury. The vet advised her horse a period of 6 months of and then was brought back into work when pronounced sound. He now does a bit of everything, a leisure horse but enjoys his cross country etc etc. The vets advice at the time was it takes longer to heal than a tendon but the risk of reinjury is higher with a tendon injury. He said that if you can get them sound after a collateral ligament injury, then quite often they will stay sound. Hope this makes sense and sounds hopeful, it's difficult to staty positive but try - Good luck to you both
 

Casper_cb

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Many thanks for all your replies, they are very much appretiated. It's so frustrating especially when ones had all these plans for the horse, we were hoping to move up to Intermediate and do a CCI* as he's done well in all his Novices.
frown.gif


They think the injury is old and it's just taken time for the swelling to cause enough pain for him to go lame. Marchtime - I'm definatly going to try to contact Sue Dyson, the vets at Liphook are fantastic but are incredibly doom and gloom and of course even worse as they have no idea how to treat what they're dealing with as they've never seen it before in a hind leg.

The plan for my boy is to be lunged next wednesday, we need to lunge him for up to half an hour to see if he goes lame, I'd expect him to go from sound to lame after around 15 minutes, if he does not go lame he's having 3 months off with his remedial shoes allowing the swelling to recover and if he does go lame he'll have the area medicated and again followed by 3 months off and re-accessing. (not sure how they can reaccess as surely that would require an MRI?)

Anyhoos, thank you again for your replies, I'm very happy to see that some horses have returned to hack exercise. I'm hoping as my boys ligament is only swollen that he may be able to return to more work, possilbly dressage and SJ on a surface.

Thankyou again.
 

cellie

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Hi Im 90% sure my horse has this injury he has had treatment and isnt sound.He walks ok on flat surface but anything other than completely flat causes discomfort.On reflection I wish I had gone for stem cell treatment.
Ollie will be lou shortly and I will be looking for companion home for him.He has had lots of other problems and to keep bringing him back into work is heartbreaking when he breaks down again.
I had adequan injections for Ollie and unfortunately they havent helped.Good luck with your horse keep us informed how he progresses.
If you need any support pm J
 

shirley123

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hi my horse damaged both the medial in one front and the lateral in the other front foot. the vet was doom and gloom, stating he may get back to being a light hack, with a bit of bute. i have done all the box rest/controlled exercise/re-hab correctly and he is now sound doing dressage and did his first show last week, getting a second in the riding horse class. its taken 2 years to get this far. i will not jump him again - just in case!. don't give up
 

cellie

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Im not sure if you meant to post to me or casper but Im very interested in your rehab /treatment etc.
I have turned my lad away as rehab didnt work.Hes had 3 summers off because his problem was mis diagnosed plus he had other injuries during this period.How long did you give him for each stage of process and when did you see improvements.I am hovering on giving up and struggling to afford two horses.
 

Worried1

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One of mine dislocated her left hind pastern resulting in bilateral collateral ligament damage. Box rest, physio, restricted turnout and a regimented rehab menat she returned to work sound after 6 months
smile.gif
But...
in dislocating her pastern she had also damaged her hock which we initially missed and resulted in a bone spavin
frown.gif

She was turned away and put into foal and has had two, she could technically return to work now
smile.gif
 

criso

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Mine has similar only in the front feet. Its too early in our case to give you an outcome.
He first injured himself about a year ago and we had an MRI in October.
We then had 4 months box rest and 2 months walking in hand then under saddle after which he trotted up sound. He has had heel supports on his feet, cartrophen injections and supplements ( glucomamine and msm).
Now I am bringing him back into work and had a month introducing trot and have just completed a first week with some cantering.
He is currently staying sound trotted in a straight line and worked on a surface but i haven't yet done the dreaded 10m circle lunge on hard standing which will show up subtle lameness.

We are also going to try turnout in a restricted area this weekend, he hasn't seen a field for over a year bless him.

The prognosis my vet gave ( and others at the RVC) was 60% back to full function.
I believe they are referring to this study as they all seem to quote 60%

http://www.find-health-articles.com/rec_...l-ligaments.htm

However my vet warned me that these injuries are unpredictable and he has seen horses with really mild injuries that never come sound and others with serious tears that fully recover.
As we can't have a 2nd MRI to see whether it has repaired or not all I can do is very slowly bring him back into work and see what he will cope with.

Good luck
 
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