Knee cartilage

littleshetland

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Last September the horse (16.2 8 year old Friesian) came in from the field with a swollen knee and intermittently lame. It looks like a clonk or a kick from another horse, but no skin or wound damage. I'll cut a long story short, but he ends up having Arthroscopy surgery in November on his knee. He had some small bone chips removed and some 'tatty' cartilage removed and tidied up. He lost approximately 20% of his cartilage. His prognosis was cautiously hopeful and after many weeks of careful rehabilitation and nursing I rode him for the first time today (the vet had advised gentle walking exercise and gradually build it up). He's on a really good supplement - Best Flex HA - and he's been out in the field for the last 2 weeks. the vet says it will take time for his cartilage to build up - although obviously will never be as good as the cartilage he was born with but he feels he will improve with time. He's sound in walk and intermittently lame if I ask for a couple of trot steps. - I'm feeling a bit cheesed of with it all...has anybody had anything similar or the same?
 

gunnergundog

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To lose 20% of the cartilage is VERY significant. You say your vet is telling you that his cartilage will build up with time.......as you are in Somerset I am wondering if he had biogel treatment or something else leading edge from Bristol or one of the other big vet hospitals?? If not, I would personally expect no more than what you have achieved already - light walk hacking. Best of luck though and hopefully your horse bucks the trend.
 

littleshetland

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Thanks for your reply.....oh dear....it doesn't sound very hopeful. Both the clinician at the Vet Hospital, and my vet were fairly positive that things would improve gradually, but it's going to take a long time I think. No, no mention of biogel treatment....what is that exactly?
 

gunnergundog

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Sorry to be doom and gloom......my experience wasn't positive as arthritis developed very quickly with mine. Someone on a USA group mentioned bio gel a while back......from memory, I think it was the cartilage in the stifle they treated.....horse had tears in the cartilage that were surgically tidied up and then they used this bio gel to provide a scaffold for new tissue. Think they also used PRP and god knows what else as well. Sounded very expensive. :(
 

Carrottom

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We had a pointer that went lame, blocked to middle knee joint, x ray showed unusual cartilage and vet wanted to do arthroscopy. We decided against this and they medicated the joint with steroid and HA. He came sound within 4 days and we gave the max dose of Cortaflex HA, he stayed sound and won a race and placed a few times. Would be slightly lame sometimes for the first trot of the day especially the first 2 or three days after a race. IIRC he had the joint medicated a further 2 times, he is retired now, but sound and 18 years old, going on 3.
It sounds like you need to be patient with yours but maybe Woody's story can give a bit of hope.
 

littleshetland

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Oooh - a glimmer of hope then! Thanks for your reply's - I think patience will be the key here to recovery. I rode him again this morning - walk, walk, walk - but I should be grateful I can ride him at all really. If anyone can offer anymore positive anecdotes, please share!
 
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