What is a flexural deformity?
Flexural limb deformities are those that result in result in a deviation of the limb in a sagittal plane as viewed from the side. These deformities can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired.
How are contracted tendons treated?
Specially padded wrap-around splints may be applied to hold the fetlock, pastern, and toe in the correct position. Standing or exercising the foal on a hard surface will aid in stretching the tendons. Some foals may be helped by an injection of a large dose of oxytetracyline antibiotics.
How to treat contracted tendons in foals?
Contracted Tendons in Horses
- There are two general forms of contracted tendon, i.e., congenital and acquired.
- In young foals, the principle of treatment is to keep the foal’s leg straight enough for it to walk on its toe and then stretching and correction will follow.
What is equine clubfoot?
Club foot refers to a tendon flaw that causes the hoof to be very upright. Often, club foot affects both front legs with one being more severe than the other. Club foot can occur before or after birth in foals. After birth foals acquire club feet when the bones grow faster than the tendons.
How do you treat contracted tendons yearling?
Restricting exercise, applying heel wedges, and using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are strategies designed to reduce leg pain in young horses with contracted tendons.
What is idiopathic toe walking?
In the vast majority of cases, however, persistent toe walking is “idiopathic,” which means that the exact cause is not known. Older children who continue to toe walk may do so simply out of habit or because the muscles and tendons in their calves have become tighter over time.
What causes a horse to be over at the knee?
Camped-out horses exert excessive concussion and stress on their knees, fetlocks, and hoofs. They are also prone to develop navicular disease and laminitis. Over at the knees is the most common of two structural deviations that exist in the knees of horses when viewed from the side.
What causes lax tendons in foals?
Uterine malposition is the most common reason given for these congenital contractures and laxities. There is restricted space in the uterus, and some foals become twisted or “stuck” in awkward positions that do not allow them to stretch their limbs and move about.