Essay On Suspensory Ligaments

Over the centuries equine have been prone to many injuries and diseases. Most of these injuries generate from overworking the animal or simply a lack or care. Many common injuries such as bone fractures or ligament injuries require intensive care as well as a substantial amount of time for recovery. Sports horses by very nature have a higher percentage to encounter such injuries. These injuries can become a huge problem not only physically, but can also determine the lifespan of the injured horse. In Equine, the suspensory ligaments consist of a strong band of tendon-like tissue that lies along the back of the cannon bone between the splint bones (ucsdavis pg 4). The suspensory ligaments primary function is to prevent the equine stride from and extensive extension of the fetlock joint causing the injury.
The suspensory ligament is housed by metacarpals. The large metacarpal is located in the hind side of the equine; it is flattened from side to side. The smaller metacarpals are the ones that hold in the suspensory ligaments. It takes about 4 years for both metacarpals to fuse and create (fibrous-like
15).Once this is detected it is very likely that in the future there is a progressive thickening of these ligaments. The thickening can become a serious problem because now the bone would be prone to several fractures. Once the thickening is detected it is very difficult to have a full recovery. This can lead to severe lameness in sports horses. Of course, early detection would lead to a possible full recovery and optimal athletic performance. For a strong recovery not only would early detection be essential, but also a strong anti-inflammatory therapy should take place. Keep in mind that this process is extremely slow and there is a high chance that the horse might not recover, but it does speed up the process in comparison to a natural