ISLD - Procedure for Kissing Spine

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Molly_Connolly

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Hi, just wondering if anyone has had any experience with Interspinous Ligament Desmopathy? Just doing our research at the moment. Injections did not seem to work so it is likely she may have this done. She is 11 years, Irish Sports x Thoroughbred and we brought her to event. Has started to stop when showjumping and is not going forward. Seems to be uncomfortable in the canter and will not tolerate spurs and has started to buck. She has previously jumped up to foxhunter and has a lot of potential. My main concern is the long and intense rehab that would follow afterwards? Thanks in advance
 
My vet told me two weeks ago that she had just attended a CPD course in treating back issues and that the ligament cutting operation is now known to cause stability issues in the spine long term and should no longer be being done.

I have had one done, but he died before any long term result was known. I would not have it done on another, I would have the processes either removed or shaved, whichever was appropriate.

When mine was being investigated, I was told that a horse which does not respond to injections is not a candidate for surgery as it is unlikely to resolve the issues.
 
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ycbm said:
My vet told me two weeks ago that she had just attended a CPD course in treating back issues and that the ligament cutting operation is now known to cause stability issues in the spine long term and should no longer be being done.
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That's very worrying, so what happens to all the horses they have operated on without knowing that long term its going to cause them more issues ?? Surely they shouldn't have been allowing it to be done without some form of idea about long term prognosis, one of mine had this done as I was told it gave him a good chance of coming back into work, I was not told that he would be a guinea pig for a procedure they do not yet know the long term effects of !

As it goes for my horse the procedure was a waste of time and had no effect at all. The only thing that has helped mine is physio and lots of work on the core. He will never compete at the level he did previously but still has a job at the lower levels

Sorry not to be more positive op but I would never have this procedure done on a horse of mine again and really regret allowing it. My boy now shows neuro issues with a stringhalt type of action at times and weakness behind which I'm convinced is due to the isld procedure as started presenting within a couple of weeks.
 
whiteflower said:
That's very worrying, so what happens to all the horses they have operated on without knowing that long term its going to cause them more issues ?? Surely they shouldn't have been allowing it to be done without some form of idea about long term prognosis, one of mine had this done as I was told it gave him a good chance of coming back into work, I was not told that he would be a guinea pig for a procedure they do not yet know the long term effects of !

As it goes for my horse the procedure was a waste of time and had no effect at all. The only thing that has helped mine is physio and lots of work on the core. He will never compete at the level he did previously but still has a job at the lower levels

Sorry not to be more positive op but I would never have this procedure done on a horse of mine again and really regret allowing it. My boy now shows neuro issues with a stringhalt type of action at times and weakness behind which I'm convinced is due to the isld procedure as started presenting within a couple of weeks.
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I know of two horses, mine and one other, which started having fits after the operation. I have no idea whether this is connected, or not, and mine had always been a head basher.

I knew it was a newish operation when mine was done, and was happy to accept what I saw as a slight risk versus the easy rehab. Perhaps I am lucky that I had to have him put down because of the fits.

The trouble with any new procedure is that someone has to go first, and the instability usually seems to take quite some time to show up.
 
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Ycbm I'm guessing mine is now exhibiting some related issues, we r nearly 3 years post surgery. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and having learnt from this experience I would try to rehab with injections and corrective work/ground work unless full surgery required. I just wish the vets had given me more information at the time to make an informed decision. I was lead to believe there were no sideaffects bar wound infection and it was a well used and tried method
 
whiteflower said:
Ycbm I'm guessing mine is now exhibiting some related issues, we r nearly 3 years post surgery. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and having learnt from this experience I would try to rehab with injections and corrective work/ground work unless full surgery required. I just wish the vets had given me more information at the time to make an informed decision. I was lead to believe there were no sideaffects bar wound infection and it was a well used and tried method
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So sorry to hear that. Mine was done four years ago and there was a lot of hype about how wonderful it was around at the time and nothing at all about any longer term stability issues.

I understand that there are three surgeries locally to me which are still doing the operation. That is beginning to sound very unethical.
 
I'm on a Facebook page for horses with kissing spines and it is very much ongoing from what is said on there. With what's happened with mine I do wonder if a lot of the 'sucess cases' are more where the horse has had time off ridden work and been correctly rehabbed from the ground to start with and much less to do with the surgery itself, who knows !
Do you happen to know any more by what they mean about 'stability' being lost and what the symptoms and consequences of that might be ?? Mine is currently still in light work but I don't want to make things worse
 
whiteflower said:
I'm on a Facebook page for horses with kissing spines and it is very much ongoing from what is said on there. With what's happened with mine I do wonder if a lot of the 'sucess cases' are more where the horse has had time off ridden work and been correctly rehabbed from the ground to start with and much less to do with the surgery itself, who knows !
Do you happen to know any more by what they mean about 'stability' being lost and what the symptoms and consequences of that might be ?? Mine is currently still in light work but I don't want to make things worse
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I will PM you the details of the vet who told me and you can ring her.
 
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