Kissing Spine - sacroiliac joint

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jess_wholey

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Dear All,


I recently took my horse to the vets because whilst jumping, cantering or schooling I got a massive bucking fit (not excitement - clearly in pain) and horse very uncomfortable to work and go forward.

I took her to the vets for her to be diagnosed with Kissing spine - however after reading an article in the H&H a few weeks ago about the sacroiliac joint - I think this is the more likely cause.


I would like to know/help/advice about this and how I should go on. Basically my horse is insured for £5,000. The cost of getting the initial treatment was £800.00. If I have the Kissing spine operation done, this will take me up to my limit and then if there is further problems - there is no more money left to fix this problem. I will have then put the horse through all of that or basically nothing!


However after speaking to the vets last week, they would like to do a bone scan on her - costing £1,300 to indicate where the problem/s are. This will then mean I do not have enough money to have the operation done if this is the main reason for concern.


I personally cannot afford to spend money on a horse which is going to be no use to me. This guts me as I absolutely love my mare to bits!! With the cost of everything horsey going up - its making this decision more and more difficult every time I think about it.

Speaking to friends who I value their opinions tell me not to get my hopes up and to think really for the worse.

I would really like for people's advice and help on this matter because I am at my wits end thinking about what to do and what needs doing!!!


Thank you xx
 
You unfortunately need a definitive diagnosis. Has your horse already had xrays and been diagnosed with KS and they suspect something else? Obviously due to the huge pelvic structures that could be involved, I presume this is why they are suggesting scintigraphy.

TBH your vets are the best people to advise you on what is the best diagnosis procedure dependant on their intial assessments,

KS surgery is relatively easy to perform, I as a Physio see a lot of theses and the best ones tend to come back if they have strong musculature before surgery as well as post op. So maybe suggest to your vet whether if it is just KS, whether she could have some pre op physio,.

Good luck and keep us posted
 
Hi there,
Sorry to hear this, my horse has recently had the surgery and my insurance done the usual insurance thing making up reasons not to cover me. My horse has had the surgery 3 weeks ago.
I paid £3,000 for his and this included xrays on his fetlock which wasnt necessary in the end as we think the lameness was due to the kissing spines.
I dont think this should take you past your limit as it was £3,000 for me.
Any more questions just shout.
 
hi
my mare had the KS op in july this year
she has other problems found through the bone scan

my inurance have been very good and thankfully split these into 3 seperate cases for me --though i had to pay 3 excesses i have been able to claim for everything she as needed or will need before the 12 months are up
 
You need to read the small print on your insurance as most policies have a limit of £5k PER CONDITION. You need to speak to them to ask if they would class sacroilliac as a separate condition to kissing spine (which they should) and then go from there. Good luck with your mare.
 
Our mare has a kissing spine which we manage (my mum will not have the kissing spine operation done.) She went into the vet yesterday for 2 weeks to undergo some treatment for sticking stifles, the cause which has found to be her kissing spine. The kissing spine has also caused tension in the sacral area & sacrolliac. Problems with the sacrolliac however are usually secondary to another issue.
 
My horse had surgery for KS in March this year, it was found because he came in lame from the field in November last year. What wasn't picked up until physio, post op, was that he was also suffring from Sacro illiac pain. When I bought him he was not evenly muscled over his quarters and I always assumed that he had had an injury prior to me owning him. Looking back I think that he re injured himself in the field back in November and because I had problems with my vet and diagnosis I changed vets and the KS was found but by then the SI injury wasn't so noticeable. I think the 2 go hand in hand to be honest. A horse with KS can't work or hold itself properly and compensates in other areas. Often the secondary problems are found and treated but the underlying cause of KS isn't. The good thing is that the rehab for SI is almost the same as for KS so ask the vets why they want to scan ans what treatment would be offered for the different things they find. Also as mentioned earlier some insurance companies will split the claim, SI and KS are 2 seperate issues but it would be up to the vet to make this very clear in his report for you to request it. I had a split claim for hocks and KS although it turned out it wasn't the hocks at all! The insurance company look at each bill sent to them and allocate to each claim depending on which issue was being treated at the time. The rehab for the KS op is quite gruelling, and a bit of an emotional roller coaster of a ride but the percentage rate for success is good. I am finally back to riding, after a much longer rehab than normal due to muscle atrophy post op and am now concentrating on building as much muscle mass as is possible to reduce the chance of re injury and to strengthen the SI area.
 
Islandspirit, glad you are progressing well with your horse. I am getting mine diagnosed at the moment. I suspect for similar problems. What is the usual treatment for sacroilliac pain? Did your horse have injections?
 
Spirit didn't have any injections, the vet told me not to look at the back end and stop worrying about it! So the rehab was the same as the ks, 6 weeks box rest with in hand walks then 6 weeks of lunging in a Pessoa gradually upping the work to include raised poles. Our Pessoa work took 19 weeks in the end and he is only just starting to engage his hind legs but it's a massive improvement. Ice been advised to get him hunting fit to protect the area from re injury.
 
I had a similar problem with my daughters gelding, initially suspected SI joint and was treated for that. As months went by and wasn't getting any better, I asked for referral. Vet wanted to do bone scan which always then needs to be followed up by x-rays and ultrasound. I queried why I couldn't just go straight to x-ray and ultrasound which would identify both KS, SI problems and any soft tissue damage.

I was referred to Sven Kold who did x-rays and ultrasound first, turns out his SI joint was absolutely fine. No kissing spine but he had bone spavin in right hock and damage to the supraspinous ligament. Was treated both in hock and back and now in rehab. All the treatment and x-rays etc cost about £1,600. So I certainly, saved by not having the bone scan. Thankfully insurance have paid up to.
 
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