Mineralisation of the tendon...?

Hi, I know this is a long shot as I can see you posted this in 2012 but one of my horses has been diagnosed with mineralisation of the tendon and everyone I've tried to get advice from has never heard of it. Please could you explain a little more about it and what treatment can be given.
 
When tendon gets damaged there is the possibility that some of the damaged collagen fibres get replaced by cartilage and then this may mineralize into tiny bony areas. It is not uncommon. Corticosteroid injections into the tendon can help reduce the amount of abnormal repair tissue that is laid down.
 
Ok, thank you for getting back to me. Is it likely to effect them working in the future? Mine is a young horse that was meant to start eventing
 
Yes my horse had a suspensory branch injury which was initially treated with shockwave, but it didn't heal so he had PRP. Roll on 18 months and after successfully going back into full work after a few months of the initial injury he had a nasty accident when he got his leg stuck in a wheelbarrow. When I arrived at the yard my friend had already administered ice therapy (she was a physio) but the damage was significant with a grossly swollen leg, a small cut and visibly lame. After it had all calmed down the vet xrayed the area and found calcification within the area - at first they thought the tiny fleck that showed on the xray free floating was caused by a bit of dirt on the leg so they brushed his leg well and re-xrayed. It was described as calcification which was not attached to the branch and was free floating. This actually caused the horse to display a degree of what the vet described as mechanical lameness (the right rein circle being worst because the injury was on the near fore so they are pushing off with the injured leg). He described it as interference in the action of the suspensory branch making the horse take a shorter stride, thus appearing to all intents and purposes that he was lame on the opposite leg. The same is similarity true of this new injury - he appears hoppy on the left rein due to his new suspensory branch injury which is on the offside fore, again this is better when he is not running onto his forehand and more balanced. Again the horse is not believed to be in pain but is a change of the way of going due to restriction in that area (again possibly due to calcification or scar tissue of some description) - he still had the same way of going whilst on a bute trial recently for spookiness when I was told that his spookiness was due to pain (which is wasn't) which is quite reassuring. Whether he will be able to compete dressage again remains to be seen, he is not at that stage yet, nor will be for two or three more months, but he may be marked down due to his apparent 'lameness' which would be only fair, but a great shame nevertheless.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAE3du0x-FI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvlOBAV4LxU

The prognosis wasn't brilliant and I have never re-xrayed the leg but it is now very minimal although I can feel it sometimes when he runs on in trot. I haven't bothered to scan the opposite leg either as the vet is very impressed with the way its healing and it won't change his management in anyway by scanning the leg.

DISCLAIMER - no more nasty comments please. Trying to help out OP and don't wish to be criticised.
 
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I am so glad I found this thread, even if it's a couple years old. My 18 year old Arabian has been diagnosed with a mineralized tendon recently. She has gotten progressively more lame and we are trying DMSO sweat along with Bute. So upsetting to see her in pain....
I think the next step would either be shockwave therapy or injections.
 
Following on from AC's post, she doesn't come on here anymore but she is a good friend. Her horse was scanned a few months ago whilst vet was his injecting coffin joint as the vet wanted to see how it was doing out of interest as its quite a rare thing. The calcification is smaller but still there, on the suspensory branch and according to the vet he is displaying what he classes as mechanical lameness, albeit slightly, again on the one rein (where the calcification is intermittently interfering with the movement of the branch). So vet suggested reducing his workload. So B's now living the life of luxury as a semi retired horse and to keep him moving due to his other issues is just hacked out once or twice a week and taken to the odd fun ride.

I think its one of those things, that if the injury is significant it won't ever disappear and will keep niggling away. As she found the horse would have a period where it would come sound, given the go ahead to go back jumping, etc only for the problem to reappear weeks or months later. I think it got progressively worse but it was still very intermittent at times, especially on a surface. I've heard this happen with a friend of a friends horse too that has the same sort of issue, I think that had shockwave for a tendon sheath issue, but it didn't make much difference to that.
 
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