Bone Chip
July 14, 2009
Injuries to joints are some of the most common lameness problems in sport horses.
Question:
I’ve been told my horse has a bone chip in his knee. What can we do to help him?
Answer:
Injuries to joints are one of the most common lameness problems in sport horses. The most common injuries are bone chips (intra-articular chip fractures) in the knee (carpus) and ankle (fetlock) joint or inflammation of the synovial membrane and joint capsule (synovitis and capsulitis). When there are small fragments of articular cartilage and bone in the joint, they cause irritation to the synovial membrane and clinically appear the same as synovitis and capsulitis. A specific diagnosis is usually made after viewing radiographs (X-rays).
Cases of synovitis and capsulitis can be treated with intra-articular injections and therapeutic medications. The careful use of the right corticosteroid in the right dose can be effective and safe. Other drugs that are used for the treatment of inflammation in these joints include hyaluronic acid and polysulfated glycosaminoglycans.
While synovitis and capsultitis are most commonly recognized in the knee and ankle, they also commonly occur in the coffin joint, the distal hock joint and the stifle.
Bone chips are often best treated by removal by arthroscopic surgery. In the case of the treatment of joint fractures or cartilage injuries, the goal of treatment is to restore the articular surface and minimize the development of degenerative changes in the articular cartilage, a condition known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the consequence of either an injury that is too severe or chronic. Osteoarthritis is a permanent form of arthritis with progressive loss of the articular cartilage in a joint, commonly leading to a horse’s retirement.
Provided by The American Association of Equine Practitioners
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4 Comments on “Bone Chip”
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July 16th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
over the winter of 08-09 my horse had a bone chip in the middle of her cannon in her hind left. On the outside it just looked like a scrape. I had no idea it was a chip until a month later when it started giving my horse some problems. Her whole leg swelled up and we took her to the vet immediately. X-rays showed the chip and the vet wanted to put her in surgery. We got the surgeon’s opinion on it and she didn’t need the surgery.
March 3rd, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Kerry – regarding your horse not needing the surgery, what was the treatment plan? Does your horse have any arthritis? I am looking at the same thing but know don’t know what to do or where to start. I think surgery is such a big decision & I don’t want to make the wrong one!
Thanks!
April 17th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
I’ve got a young mare who, in Nov 2007, hung her right hind leg in a gate which resulted in a bone chip in her fetlock joint. She never showed any lameness, but it swelled pretty good. My vet took x-rays which showed the chip. He sent the x-rays to a specialist who recommended we not have it removed because it would involve cutting through ligaments. So, we wrapped it for support in hopes that scar tissue would develop and hold the chip in place. I stayed off her for 6 months, but I rode her lightly once a month and left the bandage off that night to see if it swelled, which it usually did, until after the 6 months. She’s 6 now, and we’ve been doing competitive trail, with no signs of problems in that joint. I also feed her MSM and chondroitin sulfate supplements.
August 30th, 2010 at 11:23 am
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