Stifle: trauma – cruciate ligament
Introduction
- Cause: trauma resulting in desmitis and/or rupture; often in conjunction with meniscal Stifle: trauma - meniscal and collateral ligament Stifle: trauma - collateral ligament injury.
- Signs: hindlimb lameness; joint distension and pain.
- Diagnosis: intra-articular anesthesia Hindlimb: joint anesthesia , ultrasonography Ultrasonography: musculoskeletal , radiography Hindlimb: radiography , arthroscopy Joint: arthroscopy - overview .
- Treatment: rest, arthroscopic surgery Joint: arthroscopy - overview , anti-inflammatories Therapeutics: anti-inflammatory drugs .
- Prognosis: generally poor.
Presenting signs
- Hindlimb lameness.
Acute presentation
- Acute onset, severe, hindlimb lameness.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
- Trauma.
- Degenerative changes in ligament.
Pathophysiology
- Trauma → desmitis and/or rupture.
- When stifle is in hyperextension, or sudden rotation with stifle in flexion.
- Often in conjunction with meniscal Stifle: trauma - meniscal , articular cartilage and/or collateral ligament Stifle: trauma - collateral ligament injury; (cranial cruciate ligament prevents internal rotation of the tibia on the femur and 'cranial draw', ie forward movement of the tibia relative to the femur).
- Degenerative changes in ligament.
- Cranial cruciate fails most commonly mid-body; avulsion of tibial and femoral attachments less commonly.
- Caudal cruciate injuries are less common.
- Medial septum of femorotibial joint is often disrupted at time of cruciate injury.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Reardon R & Lischer C (2008) Diagnosis and management of acute stifle injury in adult horses. In Pract 30 (8), 426-433 VetMedResource.
- Latimer F G et al (2000) Stifle disease in horses. Comp Cont Educ Pract Vet 22 (4), 381-390 VetMedResource.
- Prades M & Grant B D (1989) Injuries to the cranial cruciate ligament and associated structures - summary of clinical, radiographic, arthroscopic and pathologic findings from 10 horses. Equine Vet J 21, 354-357 PubMed.
Other sources of information
- McIlwraith C W, Nixon A J, Wright I M & Boening K J (2005) Arthroscopic Surgery of the Medial Femorotibial Joint. In: Diagnostic & Surgical Arthroscopy in the Horse. 3rd edn. Mosby, USA. pp 756-757.
- Walmsley J P (2003) The Stifle. In:Diagnosis & Management of Lameness in the Horse. Eds: Ross M W & Dyson S J. Saunders, USA. pp 463.