or have the joint surgically fused with a pastern arthrodesis. Unfortunately, she was told it was difficult to predict how long the joint would take to naturally fuse, and radiographs showed that there were still very little signs of fusion. By then Ms. Swenson was managing Netty’s comfort level with a combination of phenylbutazone, firocoxib, topical anti-inflammatories, chiropractic care and daily icing, but the horse was still quite lame. “We x-rayed his other legs and feet since we were concerned those joints had started breaking down as well, but there were no signs of arthritis anywhere else,” said Ms. Swenson. “At that point I thought if we could fix this one joint, Netty could at least return to comfortable turnout. He had been very patient and I didn’t want to make him wait in pain any longer. I felt that at 16 he was young and healthy enough to invest in the surgery.”
Photos courtesy of New Bolton Center
Locking It In
Aimee and Netty
Pastern arthrodesis has an approximately 70% prognosis for return to soundness. Ms. Swenson interviewed a number of surgeons, including several local to her area in Virginia, but ultimately made her decision after speaking with New Bolton Center’s Kyla Ortved, DVM, PhD, assistant professor of Large Animal Surgery. “I felt the most comfortable with how Dr. Ortved answered my questions, and I also knew that New Bolton Center has a fabulous reputation. I decided it was worth the trip.” Ms. Swenson and Netty made the five-hour trek to New Bolton Center’s Kennett Square, Penn. campus in mid-September for the surgery Dr. Ortved performed the pastern arthrodesis via an open technique using inverted “T”and “V”-shaped incisions made ModernEquineVet.com | Issue 6/2017
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