Oldenburger horse. Female intact 4 years of age. Presented for a purchase examination. Screening radiographs of different regions were taken. Radiographic examination Mediolateral view of the left stifle Radiographic findings
- Soft tissues are normal.
- There is an irregular border of the proximal part of the lateral ridge of the femoral trochlea (arrow) irregularly defined with multiple identations and flattened.
- The radioopacity in this region is heterogenous, all in all increased (arrowhead), interpreted as sclerosis.
- Transverse radiolucent line in the proximal fibula, compatible with fibula bipartita.
Radiographic findings Close up of the mediolateral view of the left stifle Radiographic diagnosis The radiographic diagnosis is:
- OC lesion in the left stifle and fibula bipartita.
Considering the pathogenesis of the disease, other regions of the horse were radiographed. Additional radiographic examination Mediolateral view of the right stifle (on the left), dorsomedial-plantarolateral of the right tarsus (middle) and of the left tarsus (right ) showing multiple bony fragments in the area of the lateral femoral condyle and distal intermediate ridge of the tibia (arrows). Post OP radiographic examination
- The horse underwent surgery (both stifles and both tarsi).
- Post OP radiographs are shown.
Mediolateral view of the left stifle pre (left) and post (right) surgery. Comments
- Although osteochondrotic lesions develop early in life, osteochondrosis of the femoropatellar joint is a common radiographic finding in young and older horses.
- Radiographic sign of osteochondrosis include flattening, irregular subchondral surface, heterogenous opacity of the trochlear ridge and presence of bony fragments attached by a radiolucent junction to the bone surface at the cranial aspect of the trochlea.
- The most common sites of OC lesion is the lateral femoral trochlear ridge, especially in the middle third.
- Lesions in the medial femoral trochlear ridge are less common, patellar lesion are rare.
- Very often the lesion is bilateral.
- In the tarsus OC may affect different sites, the most common is the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia. In this location lesions are seen radiographically as a bony fragment attached to the distal tibia by a radiolucent junction with corresponding defect.
- Less commonly fragments can become free and are seen in the distal aspect of the joint pouches.
