Navicular syndrome is a disease in horses that affects the navicular bone. The condition normally results because of inflammation or degeneration of the bone and the tissues that surround it. Serious or disabling lameness can result if navicular disease is not taken care of fast and effectively. To understand this problem well, one needs to have a good understanding of equine forelimb anatomy.
There are many signs of this problem in horses. One of the major signs is pain in the heel. Lameness begins mildly and intermittently and then progresses to serious levels. Lameness results due to several reasons including erosion of cartilage, increased pressure within the hoof, reduced blood flow, damage of bones and tendons, and inflammation of supporting ligaments.
One can notice if the animal is feeling pain by observing the walking posture. Some display a tiptoe gait because of hurting heels and stumble more frequently. Both front feet normally get affected with one being worse than the other. Lameness sometimes switches feet without any observable pattern. The situation is worsened if the horse walks in circles or hard surfaces. After months of pain, the foot experiencing most pain starts to change shape.
This condition is caused and contributed by many factors. Compression caused to DDF tendons over of navicular bones is the major cause. If the feet are compressed for months, cartilage degenerates. Cartilage loses its springy nature and fails to absorb shock because of flattening resulting from degeneration. In some situations, erosion also occurs to the cartilage. Some connection has been found between osteoarthritis and this condition by some researchers. This makes therapeutic regimes suggested for the two conditions to be the same.
Another cause is tension imposed on supporting ligaments for the navicular bone. According to some professionals, too much tension results into strain and inflammation of the impar ligament. Such strain and inflammation ends into decreased blood flow to and from the bone. Arteries get less compressed than veins causing blood flow to the bone more obstructed than blood flow away from the bone. This causes increased blood pressure. Too much tension may cause exostoses or tearing in the ligaments.
The third most common cause is toe-first landing. Toe-first landing results from misaligned lower joints in most cases. Bones and deep digital flexor tendons are strained with this landing causing bones to be modified. Poor shoeing, over-trimming of heels or frog, and long toes also lead to toe-first landing.
Factors that contribute highly to the syndrome are work, body weight, conformation, and shoeing. Conformational defects play a major role in contributing to the disease particularly those which promote concussion. Some of the conformational defects are low heels and long toes, upright pasterns, narrow and upright feet, significant downhill build, and small feet. Constant stress caused on bones, ligaments, and tendons in the feet is the causing factor. Working, galloping, and jumping may at times result into the condition.
This disease has several treatment options. Trimming, exercise, medication, surgery, and hoof care are the major treatments available. It should be known that not all cases can be treated by any single treatment method. For complete recovery, some methods need to be combined.
There are many signs of this problem in horses. One of the major signs is pain in the heel. Lameness begins mildly and intermittently and then progresses to serious levels. Lameness results due to several reasons including erosion of cartilage, increased pressure within the hoof, reduced blood flow, damage of bones and tendons, and inflammation of supporting ligaments.
One can notice if the animal is feeling pain by observing the walking posture. Some display a tiptoe gait because of hurting heels and stumble more frequently. Both front feet normally get affected with one being worse than the other. Lameness sometimes switches feet without any observable pattern. The situation is worsened if the horse walks in circles or hard surfaces. After months of pain, the foot experiencing most pain starts to change shape.
This condition is caused and contributed by many factors. Compression caused to DDF tendons over of navicular bones is the major cause. If the feet are compressed for months, cartilage degenerates. Cartilage loses its springy nature and fails to absorb shock because of flattening resulting from degeneration. In some situations, erosion also occurs to the cartilage. Some connection has been found between osteoarthritis and this condition by some researchers. This makes therapeutic regimes suggested for the two conditions to be the same.
Another cause is tension imposed on supporting ligaments for the navicular bone. According to some professionals, too much tension results into strain and inflammation of the impar ligament. Such strain and inflammation ends into decreased blood flow to and from the bone. Arteries get less compressed than veins causing blood flow to the bone more obstructed than blood flow away from the bone. This causes increased blood pressure. Too much tension may cause exostoses or tearing in the ligaments.
The third most common cause is toe-first landing. Toe-first landing results from misaligned lower joints in most cases. Bones and deep digital flexor tendons are strained with this landing causing bones to be modified. Poor shoeing, over-trimming of heels or frog, and long toes also lead to toe-first landing.
Factors that contribute highly to the syndrome are work, body weight, conformation, and shoeing. Conformational defects play a major role in contributing to the disease particularly those which promote concussion. Some of the conformational defects are low heels and long toes, upright pasterns, narrow and upright feet, significant downhill build, and small feet. Constant stress caused on bones, ligaments, and tendons in the feet is the causing factor. Working, galloping, and jumping may at times result into the condition.
This disease has several treatment options. Trimming, exercise, medication, surgery, and hoof care are the major treatments available. It should be known that not all cases can be treated by any single treatment method. For complete recovery, some methods need to be combined.
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