This patient is a 12 year old quarter-horse gelding that was used for barrel racing. He presented to Cave Creek Equine™ with a severe left hind lameness, and a large amount of fluid in the tibiotarsal joint (hock joint).
The hock joint is made up of 4 main joint levels. It is common for a performance horse to develop arthritis of the two lower hock joints. These joints are very low motion joints that respond well to treatment with steroids and hyaluronic acid injected into the joints periodically. Arthritis of next joint up (proximal-intertarsal joint), is very rare, but career ending.
X-rays showed a severely narrowed proximal intertarsal joint. This reflects the loss of joint cartilage that normally separates the bones. This joint is part of the upper, high motion joint.
