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.
The problem is revealed through many signs. Paining heels is one of the most common signs. Lameness progresses to severe levels after starting mildly and intermittently. Lameness is caused by several factors such as erosion of cartilage, reduced blood flow, increased pressure in hooves, inflammation of supportive ligaments, and damaged bones and tendons.
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 cause is toe-first landing. This event mostly happens due to misalignment of lower joints. The landings place a lot of strain on deep digital flexor tendon and bone and may culminate into modifications in the bones. Other causes for toe-first landing are over-trimming of frog and heel, long toes, and poor shoeing.
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.
There are many treatment options for this disease. Some of them include trimming, hoof care, exercise, medication, and surgery. There is however no single treatment option that works for all cases. Some options have to be combined for the syndrome to be fully healed.
The problem is revealed through many signs. Paining heels is one of the most common signs. Lameness progresses to severe levels after starting mildly and intermittently. Lameness is caused by several factors such as erosion of cartilage, reduced blood flow, increased pressure in hooves, inflammation of supportive ligaments, and damaged bones and tendons.
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 cause is toe-first landing. This event mostly happens due to misalignment of lower joints. The landings place a lot of strain on deep digital flexor tendon and bone and may culminate into modifications in the bones. Other causes for toe-first landing are over-trimming of frog and heel, long toes, and poor shoeing.
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.
There are many treatment options for this disease. Some of them include trimming, hoof care, exercise, medication, and surgery. There is however no single treatment option that works for all cases. Some options have to be combined for the syndrome to be fully healed.
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