Page 415 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

early and treated promptly and appropriately. Failure to manage this condition correctly may

lead to chronic tenosynovitis.
VetBooks.ir Chronic tenosynovitis

If an acute tenosynovitis fails to respond to treatment, the tendon sheath remains distended

by a persistent synovial effusion and may become permanently thickened by fibrous tissue.
Adhesions may develop within the sheath and between the sheath and the tendon. By this

stage, the swelling may be cold and painless.

CAUSES

The causes can include:

• a single acute trauma
• repeated minor injuries, i.e. wear and tear

• injury to the tendon within the sheath.

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis is as described for acute tenosynovitis.

TREATMENT
Treatment is necessary when the condition affects the horse’s performance. It is likely to

include:

• drainage of excess synovial fluid and injection of hyaluronan and corticosteroid followed
by bandaging

• surgical exploration of the tendon sheath and removal of the thickened synovial
membrane with resection of adhesions if the condition fails to respond to the above

treatment
• treatment of annular ligament thickening if it is either causing, or the result of, chronic

tenosynovitis of the DFTS

• physiotherapy following surgery is beneficial.

PROGNOSIS

The prognosis is variable, depending on which tendon sheath is affected, the severity of the

condition and the use of the horse. It is less favourable if adhesions are present.