Suspensory ligament desmitis- experiences?

[ester]

Mum's mare was diagnosed yesterday after a week or so bandaging as no real lameness and thought she might have knocked herself causing filling (or as a reaction to the mudfever that she had in the other leg causing it to fill - which created a bit of a red herring). I saw it for the first time over the weekend and decided it was more than filling and having been ridden the day before the mare was 1-2/10 lame so vet duly called and was a little surprised to find what he did. No idea exactly when/how she did it.

Apparently it looks like messy fibres rather than a clear hole so the pics have gone off to their stem cell man for consideration (vet has more experience using them in more defined holes you can put them in, and mare is on box rest.

Very early days obviously but just wondered if I could hear anybody's experiences.

 

[ester]

more info received from the mothership, it is lateral branch not higher up as I thought.

 

[toomanyhorses26]

My mare had it as part of a much bigger set of problems - I was advised that I could have an op or go for shockwave but was advised against treatment due to the severity and the other issues she had x

 

[applecart14]

more info received from the mothership, it is lateral branch not higher up as I thought.

Hooray, good prognosis for lateral branch. That's what my boy had/has. He had shockwave and LW ultrasound but no real in roads were made, so eventually I went down the PRP (now I always get this wrong - think its protein rich plasma). They take blood from the neck, put it in a centrifuge with a drug, and out drips the pure plasma which they inject into the suspensory branch.

My horse was over compensating by putting more weight on this leg from his opposite hind leg due to the spavin he had, so a couple of months after receiving the PRP he had his hocks fused with ethanol to stop the suspensory branch overload.

In 2012 we got a double clear in something daft like every jumping competition we entered (two a week for about 9 weeks) with 40's - 45's in the class, getting placed about half of those classes, so I can definetely recommend the PRP.

I also VERY RARELY lunge my horse, never try to ride over mixed surface (i.e. surface that is firm in some n places and boggy in others) and I support bandage (my horse only wears boots on the roads). He has an excellent farrier who is aware of his tendon issue and balances his feet superbly and I try to ride every day (not for an hours solid schooling) but probably for 20 - 30 mins at a session.

These are just simple and easy adjustments you have to make to try to stop the injury from reocurring. Sadly in about June this year the horse got stuck in a wheelbarrow whilst I was at work. He dragged it around the yard crashing into things - he was extremley fortunate not to break a leg (but of course it would have to be his suspensory injured leg that he got caught) and it inflamed hugely. He ended up on box rest, then two danillon a day for ten days and was still lame and I had given up hope of him ever coming back from this injury; but then I read about slippery elm and how it prevented absorption of certain drugs that were absorbed through the stomach lining including danillon (he was on slippery elm for his gut). So I stopped feeding the slippery elm and a week later he became sound, the inflammation reduced, he had physio from my super duper physio friend and he came back into work sound.

You can watch part of my journey on youtube http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=applecart14&sm=3 the SANY videos show the improvement.

We are this weekend, planning to go to a jumping competition as part of his rehab back into work. We will be doing a 2ft 6 and 2ft 9 jumping class and only then will I know if all the hard work has been worth it and he has fully recovered from his wheelbarrow injury. But I feel certain that he has.

 

[ester]

thanks applecart, yes PRP is what is being discussed.

 

[cptrayes]

I had a mare who did a medial branch on a front leg. No treatment except rest. Right as rain after six months in the field, and it never bothered her again.

 

[ester]

Good to hear CP , thanks , time is definitely not a problem.

 

[ellie_e]

Mine was diagnosed this time last year after going to the vets for a performance work up. He wasn't lame, but just not right. After x raying and nerve blocking everywhere they couldn't find anything, but very obviously un happy with ridden work on a surface- fine on hard ground. We decided to get a bone scan, this is where they suspensory issues appeared, not a hole or anything partially bad but enough to make him sore. We had 3 shockwave treatments, box rest and then the rehab began, straightaway as soon as we started the trot work I knew he was better, he felts great, and much stronger and more powerful. We've since jumped things I never thought we would, aiming for some 1.20's this year. We've had other set backs as he's had surgery on his eye for uvetitus but that's another story!
I'm careful on what surface he's worked on, and I try to keep him stabled if the ground is boggy. He's bandaged at night and I also use a magnetic rug and boots a few times a week. I do lunge him probably once a week or before I compete- (he's a nutty wb so it's generally safer) I am super paranoid about his legs, I've had the vet out twice since the all clear which was in April to make sure he's ok! The vet now laughs when he's called out, but I would rather know for my peace of mind.
Good luck with yours, I'm sure you'll be back in action in no time.

 

[ester]

Thanks ellie_e, she doesn't really do jumping anyway

 

[Kelpie]

There is a very useful PSD discussion group on facebook that could be worth you joining.

I have a mare with PSD but still quite new into figuring out treatments, etc. In all honesty it seems to be a bit of a lottery what works and what doesn't Really hope you get a winning lottery ticket tho!

 

[paulineh]

I have a 24 year old Arab mare that did her off fore Suspensory Ligament at the age of 10. We had Shock wave treatment and rest. She is one for not to like staying in the stable so a small area was made in front of the stables.

She came back to full work 6 months after doing the injury and since then has won a number of Endurance races, including the Veteran Arab Marathon (Won this three times)

To this day we have not had a problem from that injury.

Slow solid rehab work was our answer to coming back into competition.

 

[ester]

Thanks that is great news , Cally is 14/15 now. The vet sent me the ultrasound pics so I could have a nosey at them today - not sure if my interpretation is right but

 

[cptrayes]

Good news

 

[pipsqueek]

My home-bred mare was diagnosed with this several years ago...after a couple of trips to Newmarket (she was insured) still not sound (a year later & insurance wouldn't cover any further treatment) I just turned her away for a year, she came back sound, at the time she was 14. I had hunted & showjumped her and knew if I returned her to this it wouldn't be fair so she is with friends as a hack/companion to this day and very happy and well. There is nothing like time and rest for healing!

 

[ester]

Apparently she is being well behaved on rest , going to vets on monday for platlet transfer.