Diagnosis and Treatment of Flexural Deformities in Foals

摘要

Flexural deformities represent deviations in the sagittal plane. They are divided intocontractural and hyperextension deformities either congenital or developmental in origin.Diagnosis is usually straightforward and should lead to immediate treatment to preventsecondary complications. Inherited factors such as rapid growth response to high energynutrition play an important role in the development of the problems; balancing nutritionalintake is the key in the prevention of flexural deformities. While congenital contracturaldeformities are usually managed either by medical means (oxytetracyline IV) or applicationof special shoes (toe extensions), digital hyperextension deformities are usually handledthrough swimming exercise or the application of heel extensions-surgical intervention israrely indicated. Surgical intervention is in most cases the treatment of choice in developmental contractural deformities-desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deepdigital flexor tendon for deformities of the distal interphalangeal joint and desmotomy of theaccessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon.