Surgical Fusion for Ringbone

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Surgical Fusion for Ringbone Moderators: luluwhit, gotothewhip, cindyt, crossspur, ForumAdmin Jump to page :	Last activity 2016-12-23 7:28 PM 3 replies, 2698 views View previous thread :: View next thread
General Discussion -> Barrel Talk


CodaHonor Reg. Apr 2010	Posted 2016-12-22 5:13 PM Subject: Surgical Fusion for Ringbone
Expert Posts: 1368	My 13 year old appendix was diagnosed with mild high ringbone changes in May. The vet injected it that day and then a month later he got Osphos. Since then he was pretty much just riding in the area, on trail, and playing around at the local sortings. He gets Pentosan once a month as well as the THE supplements. Now 7 months later he'd been coming up slightly off. We took him to the hospital and they did blocks and x-rays. In that 7 months the ringbone on the x-rays has progressed to the point that several vets are recommending that we have the joint surgically fused. The three vets that looked at both sets of X-rays were shocked with the amount of change in the 7 months. Does anyone have any experience with this surgery? Any experience with arthritis progressing years faster than it should for no apparent reason? Thanks!
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wyoming barrel racer Reg. Apr 2006	Posted 2016-12-22 6:15 PM Subject: RE: Surgical Fusion for Ringbone
Neat Freak Posts: 11216 Location: Wonderful Wyoming	I have a broodmare that will have her lower coffin joint chemically fused. She has terrible arthritis now at only 4 yrs old. I have a friend that had a horse break the upper joint and had him surgical fused. It's looking good so far.
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barrelracingchick16 Reg. Aug 2004	Posted 2016-12-23 12:21 PM Subject: RE: Surgical Fusion for Ringbone
It Goes On Posts: 2262 Location: Muskogee, OK	I have seen quite a few of these surgeries performed, if you are talking about a surgical arthrodesis with a plate/screws (which is usually the method of choice). These horses usually go on to become very sound and do well. A handful of the horses I scrubbed in on were actually racehorses who went on to run again, we also did a cutter that went back to athletic level prior to surgery. Surgery can be pricey and you also have to factor in a significant period of time off, and most surgeons place these horses in casts after surgery for quite a few weeks. If surgery is not an option for your horse, another option would be alcohol facilitated fusion. The results with this procedure are more variable- however it is significantly cheaper than surgery and they do not have to go under general anesthesia.
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wyoming barrel racer Reg. Apr 2006	Posted 2016-12-23 7:28 PM Subject: RE: Surgical Fusion for Ringbone
Neat Freak Posts: 11216 Location: Wonderful Wyoming	barrelracingchick16 - 2016-12-23 11:21 AM I have seen quite a few of these surgeries performed, if you are talking about a surgical arthrodesis with a plate/screws (which is usually the method of choice). These horses usually go on to become very sound and do well. A handful of the horses I scrubbed in on were actually racehorses who went on to run again, we also did a cutter that went back to athletic level prior to surgery. Surgery can be pricey and you also have to factor in a significant period of time off, and most surgeons place these horses in casts after surgery for quite a few weeks. If surgery is not an option for your horse, another option would be alcohol facilitated fusion. The results with this procedure are more variable- however it is significantly cheaper than surgery and they do not have to go under general anesthesia. Yes that is why my vet wanted to do this with my broodmare. I am buying back a yearling filly that apparently has ringbone in a back pastern. Not sure when she would have gotten injured but we wanted to make it right with the buyer. We are going to use her for a future broodmare, but maybe it would be worth fusing her as well? I'll have to call and see what he says.
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