Page 436 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

is usually painful.

Radiographs are useful as they:
VetBooks.ir • show whether the splint is active or settled; initially the new bone is less dense than the

original splint bone and it has an irregular outline; as the splint settles down it appears

more dense and smooth
• determine the extent of the new bone and its position in relation to the knee joint and the

suspensory ligament
• reduce the chance of a fracture of the splint bone being overlooked.

Ultrasonography is used to determine if the splint impinges on the suspensory ligament.
Local infiltration of anaesthetic can be helpful in confirming whether a splint is causing

lameness.

Scintigraphy is occasionally helpful to identify ‘blind splints’ where the swelling of the
interosseous ligament is confined to the medial surface of the splint bone. It cannot be

palpated, but is an area of inflammation that may impinge on the suspensory ligament and
cause lameness.

TREATMENT

The aim of treatment is to reduce the inflammation and pain. It is likely to include some of
the following.
• Box rest or confinement to a small area until firm palpation of the splint does not cause

any pain. The length of time required is extremely variable and each case should be

individually assessed. It usually takes between 2 and 6 weeks, but some horses need a
longer period of rest. The sooner a developing splint is recognized and treated, the better
chance it has of healing quickly. If the horse is put back into work too early, signs are

likely to recur.

• Cold treatment, e.g. hosing or application of ice packs, for 20–30 minutes, 2–3 times
daily for the first 2–3 days.

• Support bandaging to prevent further injury from knocks.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone help to settle the
inflammation and relieve the pain

• Topical applications of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) may help.

• Injection of corticosteroids into the lesion is believed to reduce the soft tissue swelling by
some practitioners.