Trochanteric bursitis is related to muscle strain, direct trauma and can also be secondary to a hock or stifle lameness as the horse compensates for the lameness which changes the gait of the hind limb predisposing for whorl bone. It is commonly seen in Standardbred racehorses as it is related to pacing or trotting at high speeds. Horses with trochanteric bursitis show moderate but vague hind limb lameness, will ‘ ‘ away from the affected limb and show more wear on the medial aspect of the hoof wall/shoe. Pain on palpation over the hip and possible muscle atrophy of overlying muscles may be seen. Prognosis is guarded for athletic return as there is often an underlying condition causing the bursitis. The shear stress of high speeds predisposes a horse to bursitis. Horses with poor hock conformation (cow hock), unbalanced/improper shoeing and gait altering shoes can also lead to bursitis as this improperly loads the hock joint and alters the way the tendons function. Most commonly affected are standardbred racehorses. These horses tend to warm out of the lameness early on, but the lameness will reappear and progressively get worse with increase in exercise. They will with the affected limb and may carry the weight on the inside of the hoof wall as well. There may be mild swelling over the dorsal hock with pain on palpation. Many of these horses also develop bone spavin in conjunction with cunean bursitis. Navicular bursitis is associated with navicular syndrome. Compression from the DDFt & navicular bone puts pressure on the navicular bursa causing inflammation. Infection can also occur if there is a wound through the sole/frog of the foot and reaches the bursa. This will result in severe lameness, no weight bearing on the heel of the foot and a draining wound above the heels or on the sole. Infectious navicular bursitis must be surgically treated and drained. True Bursitis is also seen when an infection that has developed in a bursa, mainly the atlantal, axial & supraspinous bursas. They are all affected by the coccobacillus Brucella abortus which results in conditions known as poll evil & fistulous withers. or “capped elbow” is often seen in horses that wear front shoes with heel corks or trailers. When the horse lays down and tucks their forelimb underneath them, the heel of the shoe often comes into contact with the point of elbow. Occasionally gaited horses with extreme action will hit their elbows with the heel of the shoe. A shoe boil boot or sausage boot can be used to prevent capped elbows. Hygroma of the knee, carpal bursitis, is seen in horses that fall on their knees, paw or hit their knees off hard surfaces, such as a jump rail, stall door or feeder or develop them due to repeated lying down on a hard surface with little bedding. The hygroma develops on the aspect of the carpus. False bursitis of the hock, or “capped hock”, is a false bursitis of the subcutaneous calcanean bursa. It is seen in horses that kick walls or other hard surfaces. It may also develop in horses who lay down for prolonged periods of time on hard surfaces with little bedding. Common False Bursitis Conditions False bursitis of the elbow, a
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