Chico's stifle

[guest@endurance.net]

Dru tdmonte@theriver.com
Hi,
  Have Chico checked by a vet who is well versed in stifles, just to be
safe. Sometimes the stifle, which has ligaments running over
the front and sides of it, has problems keeping the ligaments in their
place (called femoral trochlea, which has two slightly oblique ridges ),
with a wide deep groove between them which normally hold them in place.
The inner ridge is rounded so it is easy for a horse, especially one who
is straight legged, (this means not alot of angles to the bones of the
hind leg, oldtimers called it post legged), to slip a ligament out of
place. Backing up is a common cure to pop those ligaments back into
place.This is sometimes called upward or lateral displacement of the
patella. Temporary trailers and lots of cavaletti and hill work can
improve the situation. Vets will sometimes want to cut the ligament, which
is an uncomplicated and was a very common surgery done in oldentimes for
horses with stifle problems, but studies at CSU in the last decade
discovered that these surgeries led to arthritis in the subjects. Horses
also get what is called a "stifle cramp" and this is often mistaken for
patella displacement, the difference being how the hind foot is placed on
the ground and can happen when a horse streches it's leg backwards. If
when you back the horse you hear a "pop" that is a displacement (upward)
going back into place. If the horse regains normal posture upon backing
and walking off it is usually just the "stifle cramp".
Dru (bones, bones, love dem bones):-)