Stifle injury

[Gardenn90]

Hi all,
My horse has been mildly lame and was diagnosed with a stifle injury. While nothing obvious showed up on xrays or scan I was given the options of an arthroscopy or to medically treat the joint. Am just looking for opinions and experiences with either of these options?

 

[HobleytheTB]

Has it been nerve blocked to the stifle? If not I'd also want to check hocks as that can present similarly.

I wouldn't want to do the arthroscopy without being 100% certain that the stifle was the problem and that it definitely needed surgical treatment!

 

[Gardenn90]

Has it been nerve blocked to the stifle? If not I'd also want to check hocks as that can present similarly.

I wouldn't want to do the arthroscopy without being 100% certain that the stifle was the problem and that it definitely needed surgical treatment!

Yes it has been!

 

[HobleytheTB]

I'd probably try medicating the joint first (personally), as there's more risk with surgery and it would involve some amount of box rest which I'm not that keen on.

The other options of course would be box resting/ bute or turning away for x amount of time and then reassessing. It's frustrating to not know the specific problem!

 

[ihatework]

I’d medicate the joint first, far cheaper and less invasive.

If something had shown up on images then I would have said arthroscopy, but at the moment it would just be a fishing expedition.

 

[Tash88]

My horse had an arthroscopy last year and so I am biased as I went for that before the steroid injections, but my vet advised arthroscopy first as the stifle is a complex joint and it's rather 'deep', so to get a proper look a camera into the joint is the best way, and if appropriate treatment can be carried out at the same time.

I would be reluctant to proceed with a steroid injection before knowing exactly what the problem was, but that's just my opinion. Good luck.

 

[Gardenn90]

My horse had an arthroscopy last year and so I am biased as I went for that before the steroid injections, but my vet advised arthroscopy first as the stifle is a complex joint and it's rather 'deep', so to get a proper look a camera into the joint is the best way, and if appropriate treatment can be carried out at the same time.

I would be reluctant to proceed with a steroid injection before knowing exactly what the problem was, but that's just my opinion. Good luck.

Can I aso about the outcome of your horses arthroscopy? Has he been able to return to work?

 

[Tash88]

Can I aso about the outcome of your horses arthroscopy? Has he been able to return to work?

He was found to have chondromalacia (both stifles, right one worse) which is unfortunately one of the more serious diagnoses. It's essentially a softening/damage of the cartilage and a bit like OCD. In his case he has a congenital abnormality to one of the joints and that affected the cartilage, presumably as he grew and then started work (he was only backed at 6, 6 months before I bought him).

He had 6 weeks box rest then 7 months small paddock rest. Then he had steroid injections into both joints (thought we might not have to do the left then the right one improved so much it showed the left was struggling a little so injected that one too, but without the extra hyaluronic acid). Then a careful rehab starting with walking in hand, then walking for 5 weeks, trotting for 5 weeks and the vet approved canter and a build up to normal schooling a few weeks ago. We are still mainly hacking though as he prefers it, it's less potentially damaging and I don't feel he's strong enough to school more than twice a week (easy sessions but making him work correctly) at the moment.

Hope that helps, feel free to ask any questions