Long-term results of tenoscopic treatment of lesions in the digital flexor tendon sheath: a retrospective study of fifty horses

Abstract

Injuries to the structures within the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) can be the primary cause of non-infectious tenosynovitis, for which diagnostic and therapeutic tenoscopy can be performed. In this retrospective study, the medical records of fifty horses that underwent tenoscopic treatment of non-infectious tenosynovitis of the DFTS from 2008 to 2016 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Ghent University), were evaluated. Telephonic follow-up information was obtained for forty horses. In jumping horses, front limbs were significantly more often involved, whereas in non-jumping horses, the hind limbs were affected more frequently (P=0.01). Lesions of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) were observed in 45% of the cases and lesions of the manica flexoria (MF) in 39% of the cases. Ultimately, 27.7% of horses with lesions of the DDFT and 53% of horses with lesions of the MF returned to their original level of performance, with a mean follow-up period of 4.6 ± 2.5 years.