34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

To present a new treatment technique and long-term results for SBCs not accessible from the articular surface.

Methods:

Six horses had grade 3-4/5 lameness due to SBC not responding to conservative or other surgical treatment. SBC was present in the proximal P1 (3 cases), third tarsal bone (1 case), proximal medial radius (1 case) and distal P2 (1 case). In two horses (radius and fetlok cyst) screw insertion was carried out previously through the cyst without improvement. The surgical procedure was as follows: a cylindrical cancellous bone graft was obtained from the ipsilateral tuber coxae using a tubular chisel. Implantation was performed during the same general anaesthesia in the same way as during mosaicplasty surgery (drilling, dilation, depth measurement and implantation).

Results:

Five horses (3 P1 cysts, prox. radius and cyst in the third tarsal bone) were able to return to previous or higher training/competition level for more than 3 years. The rehabilitation period was 6-8 months in all cases. The horse with distal P2 cyst showed no improvement and had to be euthanised 4 months after surgery.

Conclusions:

Implantation of autologous, cylindrical, cancellous bone grafts into SBCs parallel to the articular surface with a "press-fit" technique is an inexpensive and simple surgical procedure that can be successful in cases where other previously described surgical techniques (screw fixation) have failed. The difficulty of this technique is the precise insertion of the harvested cylindrical graft without damaging the joint. Other abnormalities, in particular osteoarthritis of the affected joint, must be ruled out before surgery.