Stifle joint medial meniscus tear healed?

[dreamcometrue]

Hi. Two years ago my pony was diagnosed with a medial meniscus tear to the right stifle. She was very lame and was put on field rest with a fairly bleak prognosis. No Bute or medication. After 18 months she began to look sound much of the time so her vet said to hack her in walk when she was looking good as quality of life was our main concern and she does have ems as well so exercise is pretty crucial. I have been very very careful with her throughout her recovery. She is my absolute world.

So I have hacked her in walk for the past six months very slowly and steadily until we were up to around a 2 mile hack in walk 3 times a week and everything has been good.

I moved to a new yard in November and she has gone from strength to strength looking great in the field and this week surprised me by having a strong trot and canter when I hacked out with another horse. Before this she was happy for other horses to go off in trot and canter and she just wanted to walk. First ridden trot and canter for 2 years!

So, my question is can a tear like that heal without medical intervention and just with rest?

She has also recently had successful treatment for gastric ulcers and I can tell that she is feeling absolutely fabulous as a result .

 

[dreamcometrue]

Tried to post video and failed!

 

[ycbm]

Yes it can, I had a friend with a horse lame with a stifle meniscal tear who was turned away for a year and came back still a bit unsound but she persevered with a rehab and he came sound and went show jumping.

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[dreamcometrue]

That’s very reassuring @ycbm. I am wary of aggravating the injury, if it is still there. Did the horse have any treatment other than field rest?

 

[ycbm]

That’s very reassuring @ycbm. I am wary of aggravating the injury, if it is still there. Did the horse have any treatment other than field rest?

I don't think so. At the very most it will have been one steroid injection when it was found. Prognosis was poor. He was still bringing the leg under the centre line after a year but she started working him slowly and he came right. He was on Facebook in a new home jumping when he was 16 and the injury happened at 4.
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[dottylottie]

my mare had a torn medial meniscus in both stifles, plus tore her patella ligament, in april - she’s had a lot of medical intervention mind you, but the scans are looking really good and the vet has said she’s actually way ahead of the usual timeline. the timeline he usually expects for a full recovery is actually about what yours has had!

i can’t speak for every horse, but my vet has said if/when she makes a full recovery, it will indeed be a full recovery and there’ll be no limitations to what i can do with her, so i would say your mare will continue to go from strength to strength!

if it’s any use, she had stem cell injections in both stifles, plus a course of cartrophen. in terms of rehab we’re far behind what we should’ve been doing with the weather, but clearly less is more haha.

 

[dreamcometrue]

@dottylottie i remember you posting about your mare. I hope she comes right for you. I think giving the horse time to heal is the way to go and it is worth it in the end. X

 

[dottylottie]

@dottylottie i remember you posting about your mare. I hope she comes right for you. I think giving the horse time to heal is the way to go and it is worth it in the end. X

thankyou! it’s a year on sunday since i bought her, and so far we’ve not done very much she’s getting better and better though, and we’ve got our first clinic this month!i’ve felt so guilty for how much we’ve struggled with the rehab but clearly it’s been good for her! i hope your mare continues to improve

 

[Britestar]

Meniscal tear with intervention.

They said the tear was further than they could see. No idea if it was complete or not.

Was mended as best they could, along with removing cartilage and a couple of small loose fractures.

Given 6-10% chance of returning to any kind of work. Rested with restrictions for 4/5 months.

Gradually reintroduced to herd turnout.
Indiba therapy and at around 7 months was suggested to start walking him again.

Much the same amount of time walking, with a bit of trot after that time.

Started doing more, and is now in full work, competing and you really wouldn't know he'd been injured.