Suspensory Ligament

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chestnutcob

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Can anyone help a friends horse was lame around June time in July the vet diagnosed a small hole in his suspensory ligament. Advice was box rest and shockwave treatment. Following over 4 months box rest her horse was going stir crazy in the stable and when she was leading him out he would jump and plunge in the air landing hard on the road.
She recontacted the vet who came out and was disappointed that the horse was still quite lame he said he still needed box rest. (She decided for her horses mental stability she would put him on small paddock turnout)
It has been almost 8 months now and he is still quite lame is this normal or should she insist on further treatment from her vet ?
Any views would be appreciated
 
Im in similar situation although that doesnt help you. My gelding has damaged both hind suspensorys and is now on box rest. My vet suggested turning him away completely and let nature take it course but he didnot tolerate this so is now on box rest. 4 weeks into box rest he is leaping round in the box rearing bucking ect Im not going to have a stable left!! Dont know if im doing the best thing for him. How bad was the your geldings injury to begin with? I was told it could take up to a year and then I was only given a 40% chance he will return to work.
 
Hi Its not my horse but I'm sure they said it was only a small hole ? He is a TB and was really good on box rest for about 3 months (infact he was an angel really) But then he just got fed up and was going to injure himself more in the stable than he was being turned out.
I have heard to just turn them out to let it repair but wasn't sure if this was an old wifes tale ?
 
Funny mines a TB aswell! Had it not happened in the winter I proberly would have turned him away a let nature take it course but the weather is not on our side at the mo is it!! My vet suggested sedating him whilst on box rest but I dont think that will be very kind for him. Im thinking about mybe letting him wonder round outside his box on the small concrete yard. If ypurs onlly had a small hole and still is not sound Im not holding out much hope for mine.
 
My big hunter horse damaged his suspensory ligament(front leg) he did six months box rest and also had the shock wave tretment.He was then walked out in hand for a couple weeks then came back into light work.He was only allowed to be out in a very small paddock for the next month just big enough to walk in.Good news he did come sound and did start work.The only thing is that if he spooked out riding especially on the road he would jar it for a few days so would have not been ridden then.Took a very long time but worth the wait.Also put him on no bute which worked wonders.Hope all goes well.
 
On average the timescale for a ligament injury is approx 3 months box rest and then gradual return to work. It depends on the injury and can be slightly shorter or much longer but 8 months with no improvement is not right. I would deffinately have the vet back and insist on further action or seek a second opinion. I am assuming the first diagnosis was confirmed with ultrasound or MRI?? Also I am assuming it was a straight forward injury and desmistis wasn't an issue?
 
My gelding has a strain to his suspensory ligament Oct 2007 - He was on box rest with walking in hand from the start, then worked under saddle for 4 months before he was allowed to go out in a small paddock for a short amount of time daily in June '08, increasing the size of the paddock and the length of turnout gradually. My vet did not want him turned out when the ligament was healing, if he had a looney moment and skidded on that leg it could have significantly worsened the injury. I had to deal with 16.3hh of IDx towering above my head on his hind legs when I was walking in hand, but it was worth the hassle in the end cause I now have a sound horse. Different vets have different opinions on what to do re: complete box rest/working, shockwave, bandaging, spa therapy, stem cell etc. I would definitely get the vet back if the horse is still lame after 8 months - it needs further investigation or a change of treatment, or at least reassurance for the owner that the horse is on the right tracks towards getting better!
 
Highinterest can I just confirm you believe that if he is still quite lame this may not be suspensory ligament ?
The vet is saying when she next goes hes gonna do more nerve blocks and possibly rescan.
If it is not the suspensory what else would cause this length of lameness. He walks out sound but when he trots he is head nodding lame (Hope you know what I mean ?)
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Sounds like a second opinion is needed tbh. Is it a front leg, hind leg? High suspensory or lower down?

Do you know how it was diagnosed? I only ask all this as I was told my mare had done a high suspensory and we did the 'consertive management route' too - I got a second opinion as she was getting worse and she hadn't done a suspensory at all but had other issues going on, as m1nz1 above has said above about other issues being undiagnosed.
 
Hi Yes it is his front leg and I am led to believe its high up just below the back of the knee.
There was never any heat, swelling etc...... He was just lame in trot. Following nerve blocks the vets dismissed the foot and decided it was higher up the leg, they then did the scan and found a small hole, at this point they diagnosed it and that was that.
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PSD in hind legs do not heal as well as fronts. Mine had it in RH a year last October and I opted for a fasciotomy and neurectomy. With a months box rest after and 6 months turn out. He became sound as a pound and is as good as new.
 
Does anyone have any experience of the surgical route, and whether it works, and why they chose it rather than the longer process of box rest and walking? My boy was diagnosed with a damaged hind suspensory a week ago, and i am already wondering if he will cope with the 16 weeks box rest! Thanks.
 
Yes as said in the post above! I took him to Oakham, he stayed in for 6 days; box rested for a month, then turned out into a small paddock for 2 weeks, then into a larger one with his friends. I chose to field rest him longer, but he could have started being ridden in hand after a month.
He is better than ever now!
 
When my horse was incorrectly diagnosed with psd I was advised that the success rates of conversatively managing them were about 25% compared to an 80% success rate from surgery. I know what I would go for!

Vet told me that the ligament is enclosed within a very narrow sheath which means that any swelling (which you inevitably get) is further compressed and so you have a viscious circle with a ligament that can't heal, or is easily re-injured. With the surgery they cut the nerve and open up the ligament sheath meaning no pain and no compression I guess.
 
Rest alone will not solve the problem is it is PSD. I did a lot of reading up on this last September, when my horse was diagnosed. Mine was too far gone for surgery or any treatment. My vet referred her to the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket, under Sue Dyson. She's very good at what she does.
 
my mare was diagnosed with psd of both hinds in november via ulrasound.

it took a whole year to diagnose!

vet said as its taken so long to diagnose and she has been field rested threw the year i had more aless a 0% of rest as psd is really hard to heal with just rest 30% chance of shockwave but the went to 15% each leg as both and 70% chance with fasciotmomy and nervectomy we are not 11-12 weeks post op we had 5 weeks boxrest and the 4 weeks with inhand walking with her being turned out in 20x20 area on hardstanding all with inhand walking then ridden work in walk working the time up 5 mins a week!

so hoping that it works good luck guys
 
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