SDFT core injury. No improvement in lameness after 6 months

[Tazzydog]

Hi, After some advice on the right thing to do for my 19 year old mare. She has a core SDFT lesion below her knee on a front leg. It happened out of the blue with no explanation. She is kept in a small paddock following a Medial suspensory injury on the other front leg which has been healed for about 3 years with no issues. The vet wanted her kept in a small paddock so she cannot get up speed for a prolonged period of time as this may cause the injury to reoccur.

She has been on box rest for 6 months. We have tried laser light treatment and recently PRP. I would have liked to have done this sooner but the vet was against it as the ultrasound shows some cross hatching in the damaged area thought to be from an old injury, but I do not understand how that can be as I have owned her since she was 5 and has never done anything like this before. I would have thought she would have reinjured it over the first year I owned her if it had been from before I owned her as we did a lot to get her schooling sorted out.

The PRP was done 2 weeks ago and she is as lame as ever in trot but ok in walk. She also has some hock arthritis which was successfully treated last year. She is beginning to become stiff from the box rest. If the vet advises she needs to be PTS is there any harm in trying turnout in a small paddock to improve her quality of life and give her extra time to try and heal herself as well as dealing with the stiffness issues? If she became worse I would call it a day. I feel I owe her some quality of life.

 

[Amymay Again]

19, lame, arthritis and coming in to winter. I'd let her go.

We can't keep them forever.

 

[Zoeypxo]

How lame is she ?
Have you ever tested for cushings?

 

[nutjob]

I had PRP injections myself and there's no immediate improvement in the same way as steroid injections. Initially I felt worse as it causes an inflammatory response and your own body still needs to repair the damage, so it's worth giving this treatment time to work. After all that time on box rest and with the other issues I would turn her out in a small paddock, if she improves, good, if she gets worse you know you've done what you can.

 

[Birker2020]

Reply 10 on this thread. My advice find a physio who will have access to LW ultrasound. That was a game changer, as was the initial box rest and small progressive increase in turnout daily.
The ultrasound is used for ten mins daily, you move it in a cross section across the injury, so you go down from the top to the bottom of the part that is injured and then across. The physio will explain. If you want the name of my physio I can pass on details to you but most physio have LW ultrasound they can lend out. When a tendon is damaged the fibres are all mismatched, and in a right mess, they do not lie straight like your vet said. The aim of the ultrasound is to get them to lie flat and straight again so they can heal strong (in a nutshell). https://www.smartpakequine.com/learn-products/therapeutic-ultrasound-for-horses#:~:text=Therapeutic ultrasound can heat tendon and ligament tissues,improve tissue elasticity (allowing for more beneficial stretching).?msockid=13e3059c20fe67b03e87116d216e6644

Severe lesion - SDFT

I’m looking for some advice and really hoping for some positive stories regarding injuries to the SDFT I may be living in a dream world but a girl can hope! My mare turned 21 in March, she came in from the field lame and after having an MRI it was determined that she has a severe lesion on her...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

I wouldn't give up on her just yet until you've spoken to a physio who uses this kit.

 

[AandK]

6 months is a long time in a box for any horse, let alone an older one. How lame is she? My late gelding had PRP in a ligament injury back in 2015 when he was 18, it took 4 months for him to come sound following the op he had (annular ligament desmotomy). He had 2 weeks box rest until stiches out, then 6 weeks pen rest with walking starting at 5min building up to 30min by week 6. He then had 2 months field rest.

 

[Tazzydog]

How lame is she ?
Have you ever tested for cushings?

Hi, yes we tested for cushings and she was negative. Sound in walk. 5/10 lame in trot.

 

[Tazzydog]

I had PRP injections myself and there's no immediate improvement in the same way as steroid injections. Initially I felt worse as it causes an inflammatory response and your own body still needs to repair the damage, so it's worth giving this treatment time to work. After all that time on box rest and with the other issues I would turn her out in a small paddock, if she improves, good, if she gets worse you know you've done what you can.

Thank you for your reply. Vet is back to rescan in 3 weeks. I will push for small pen turnout as it is the only fair option other than PTS.

 

[Birker2020]

Thank you for your reply. Vet is back to rescan in 3 weeks. I will push for small pen turnout as it is the only fair option other than PTS.

Tazzydog did you read reply 5 and see my PM? I'm beginning to feel like you don't really value my opinion as you seem to have replied to everyone but me?

This was a photo from last Thursday, you can see the leg looks normal with normal definition, no pain on palpation, no heat.

Horse initially had raging hot leg, looked like a tree trunk, 3/10ths lame on 4 bute. Now he canters, bucks, rears and generally hoonys with the herd.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would turn her out it's unlikely she is going to stand up to be ridden again so if she is sound enough to be retired to a field you may as well just turn her out.

 

[AandK]

Tazzydog did you read reply 5 and see my PM? I'm beginning to feel like you don't really value my opinion as you seem to have replied to everyone but me?

This was a photo from last Thursday, you can see the leg looks normal with normal definition, no pain on palpation, no heat.

Horse initially had raging hot leg, looked like a tree trunk, 3/10ths lame on 4 bute. Now he canters, bucks, rears and generally hoonys with the herd.

Hasn’t replied to me either. Don’t take it personally.

 

[Amymay Again]

Hasn’t replied to me either. Don’t take it personally.

Nor me.

 

[Birker2020]

A&K /AA I get a little fed up when I go to great lengths to find old threads with valuable info or give someone the benefit of my actual 'lived through it' experience and don't even get a like from the OP.

It's just a bit disrespectful and discourteous.

 

[Amymay Again]

It's just a bit disrespectful and discourteous.

Of course it is. But that's forum life.