break down the articular cartilage. exudate collects in the joint space, putting pressure on the surrounding soft tissue structures, and may discharge out of a puncture wound.
Clinically, septic arthritis is seen as acute lameness accompanied by heat and effusion of the affected joint. Joint fluid will be and appear cloudy, green, bloody or all of the above. The joint fluid will also be plentiful and watery. Microscopically joint fluid will have an increased cellular content which will be caused by the presence of pathogen cells as well as immune cells. If haematogenous, septic arthritis will present with systemic signs of infection such as pyrexia, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, recumbency, coma and even death.
Diagnosis is made through clinical signs and symptoms, and bacterial culture from synovial fluid.
Treatment is generally the administration of systemic antibiotics in combination with IA antibiotics. If exogenous in origin IA followed by IA antibiotics may be used. NSAID’s may be administered to decrease inflammation and fever if necessary. Foals may require the administration of colostrum if they are too weak to suckle themselves. Proper nursing care and wound management will be required until condition is resolved.
Prognosis for foals affected by septicaemia and septic arthritis is grave. Exogenous septic arthritis carries a guarded to poor prognosis as articular damage is often permanent.
Occipito-atlanto-axial Malformation
Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation is a congenital malformation of the occipitoatlantal joint (OA joint), of the atlantoaxial joint (AA joint), or of both joints.
When this condition presents in the OA joint it is usually seen as
, while in
the AA joint it is seen as
of the facets of the atlas or the dens of the axis.
Either presentation results in ventral
of the AA joint, which causes compression
of the spinal cord at the level of the AA joint.
This condition is most commonly seen in recognizable before the foal is one month old.
horses, and signs and symptoms are
The clinical signs and symptoms of occipitoatlantoaxial malformation vary depending on the degree of luxation present in the AA joint. Signs and symptoms include progressive , muscular weakness that is more pronounced in the hind limb, paresis or tetraparesis, crepitus when the neck is moved, palpable luxation or ankylosis, resistant to move the head and neck and stillbirth. In some individuals the clinical signs and symptoms decrease as the neck muscles strengthen while other individuals show an increase in signs as their body mass increases. Diagnosis of occipitoatlantoaxial malformation can be made through clinical signs and symptoms and through radiograph. The quality of radiographic images of the cervical vertebrae is best when the foal is young as the muscle mass of the neck is minimal at this stage of life.
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