Jumping after a PSD operation

_jetset_

_jetset_

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2005
Messages
11,389
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Can anyone tell me whether they have jumped a horse after a PSD operation, and when did you start introducing it?

I am going to speak to my surgeon in full before even contemplating it with Grace, but I was looking for some indication of when I could start thinking about it?
 
PSD operation ; a de-nerving and splitting of the suspensory ligament ( or part of)?. Mine had this in October last year, usually the result of hind leg lameness which has taken a while to diagnose, the outcome is pretty good; But I was told by my vet he wouldn't be able to jump again without the risk of re injury.
He is still 1/10th lame but we are walking on hour a day so far!
 
The operation my mare had was not the splitting of the ligament.

She had a neurectomy on the nerve running to the proximal area of the ligament, and then the fascia cut to allow the ligament more room.

She is completely sound and in full work now after the operation in March. The ligament itself had healed by the time she had the operation, but was just slightly thicker in its healing, hence the need for the operation.

Has your surgeon explained to you what is now causing the lameness? Surely if denerved, that area should no longer be causing the 1/10 lameness. When Grace went back for her reassessment in May she was completely sound but just a little stiff because of the scar tissue which I was instructed now needed to be stretched and worked. She is now completely normal, and is working better than I could ever have hoped for.
 
the standard PSD op is a neurectomy and fasciotomy as Jetset describes - they dont touch the ligament itself, just cut it's nerve supply and the fascia to make more room for the swollen ligament so it stops pressing on surrounding tissue and nerves and causing pain. theoretically they should go sound after the op as they cant feel the ligament, but it doesn't always work - eg: sometimes there is a nerve supply from different fibres to the main nerve which continue to feel pain.

my horse didn't have the op, but he did have PSD. jumping was never really my thing but we probably started doing a few little ones about a year after he was diagnosed and then kept it very small for another year and then started doing a bit more again, but we pushed on with the dressage a lot sooner as that was our thing.
 
Thanks Star.. dressage is most definitely my thing, but she has such a fantastic jump and seems to really love doing it (she was bred to jump so very natural). I just liked jumping her as a change in her routine, and wondered whether it would be possible again
smile.gif


She has the operation on 20th March, was diagnosed in November 2007 with an acute injury.
 
I probably got the discription wrong then! wasn't taking too much notice! The reason why I say he is still1/10 lame is because he is stiff; how do you tell if they are just stiff, not lame?
I only just started to walk him 3 weeks ago; I just wanted to give him some time out.
Jumping isn't my thing either, so that doesn't bother me.
How long before your horse stopped being stiff? and what is your fitness routine? if you don't mind me asking.
Thanks
 
I would say she was a bit stiff when we first started the trot work, and as soon as I started being able to turn her out and bring her back into work, she went completely loose and fluid
smile.gif


She had the op in March, started walking with me on board four weeks after (following complete box rest) and then two more weeks of walk and then 12 long sides of trot. After two weeks of this trot, she could be turned out in a normal sized paddock (que a complete panicking Mum) and since then has just got better and better.

I don't mind you asking about her fitness routine, as I was so worried about it myself. Following her operation in March I just spoke constantly to the surgeon who has been outstanding. When she started turnout in May I was then to bring her back into full work over a period of 6 weeks. He stressed the importance of lateral work for her to ensure the scar tissue did not become rigid (but speak to your surgeon before using this). She has just completed week 6 of coming back into work, and is now starting to work towards a competition at Prelim and Novice.

I just increased the work she did every week... this is an idea of what I did:

Week one:
Introduce full arenas of trot, increasing the amount

Week two:
Start to introduce some big circles in trot

Week three:
Begin adding some soft lateral work in walk and trot

Week four:
Start adding more circle work in trot and more lateral work

Week five:
Add some long sides of canter

Week six:
Add circle work to the canter

I hope this helps
smile.gif
 
Thanks, I don't have a school, so my fitness is all road work, which my vet says that ok, but no trotting for three weeks, which is almost up!
smile.gif

He was turned out ( always on a small paddock anyway) in November last year! so the op either hasn't been as successful as yours or he is stiff from not using it.
I walked him down to a friends manage last week and met my RI there. She seems to think he just needs to use it more and build up his muscles
 
Road work is good for them, but my mare will not hack out on the road so has done most of hers on the lane and in the arena
smile.gif


What my surgeon said is that there will be points when we will come to a sticky patch where she may not want to use it, however, I have not been through this so guess I have been quite lucky. He suggested that in this situation there was the option of a few butes to get her really working the hocks as a temporary measure. However, as I said, I have not needed to do this and she is very wiling to flex the hocks and push through them
smile.gif


Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top