Purulent and chronic omarthritis

Purulent and chronic omarthritis is the condition of inflammation of the shoulder joint in horses.

Purulent omarthritis

Purulent omarthritis affection is mostly seen in foals as the result of penetrating wounds with the fork, kicked by other animals or by mother passes over its foal or as the result of wound from barbed wire.

Symptoms

• The animal goes on three legs and drags the affected limb in flexed manner.
• The presence of an infected wound or fistula discharging synovial mixed with pus at the region of the joint.
• There is severe pain during manipulation of the joint.
• In somewhat old cases it may be possible to hear false crepitations when the joint is moved. This is not an indication of fracture but it is the signs that the cartilage covering the articular surface of the joint has been erroded and two raw articular surface moving on each other producing this sound like crepitation.
• There is usually rising of the body temperature.

Treatment

• Intra-articular and systemic injections of antibiotics and sulphonamides daily till the temperature subsides.
• The joint should be immobilized as much as possible during the period of treatment.
• Intra-articular injection of proteolytic enzymes such as trypsin, chemotrypsin or both or hyaluronidase, to break down the fibrinous or purulent material in the joint and to facilitate the aspiration of the contents and irrigation of the joint cavity with normal saline. This procedure must be carried out twice daily until the exudates returns to normal.
• Old cases with erroded cartilage are incurable.
• Chronic deformed inflammation the shoulder joint

Chronic Omarthritis

Chronic Omarthritis is an osteo-arthritis and degenerative joint disease. It is characterized by deterioration of the articular cartilage and joint surfaces with production of ossific deposits at the periphery of the articular surface and in the peri-articular fibrous tissue.

Etiology

• Distortions and contusions as the result of a false step, falling down, accidents or fixation of the limb in an opening in the ground or fast running on hard ground.
• Continuation of the acute form.
• Poor conformation as broad breast, narrow or wide position of the forelimbs (Base narrow and base wide) which causes over load on one half of the joint.
• Osteochondritis desiccants (aseptic necrosis) may cause damage that will remain as chronic osteo-arthritis.

Symptoms

• There is chronic form of lameness.
• A short stride is taking by the affected limb.
• There is difficulty in advancing the limb forward.
• Lameness is increased on hard ground.
• There is atrophy of the shoulder muscles.
• Palpation of the shoulder joint indicates the presence of deformity. Bony exostosis may also be found.
• There is no inflammatory swelling of the joint.
• Passive movements cause severe pain.
• Lameness is decreased after a long period of rest.
• Median and ulnar nerve block as a diagnostic.

Treatment

• Blistering of the shoulder using bin-iodide of mercury 1:8
• Point firing together with blistering over and around the shoulder.
• Injection of corticoids or phenylbutazone is often of temporary value in treatment of the joint, since they reduce inflammation & pain.
• Setons are the best treatment in such cases.
• Local anesthetics is injected in tho the subcutaneous tissue of the shoulder joint.. Three incisions are made above the joint and another three incisions below it. The seton is introduced from above subcutaneously to loosen the skin from subcutaneous tissue. A piece of gauge is introduced in every incision from above to below, and then ties the two ends. Introduce few drops from turpentine oil in every opening and repeated every 3-4 days. The Setons are left in position for two weeks and then removed, after that the animal needs 30 days rest, then gentile exercise for few months.