# collateral ligament - symptoms?



## digitalangel (16 March 2011)

i know theres a few people on here whos horses had collateral ligament injuries - can i please have your symptoms? how lame was your horse? was it on inside or outside of circle? any swelling or heat anywhere? what nerve blocks were done? any other info?


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## cobwithattitude (16 March 2011)

horse was VERY lame on initial presentation - did not attempt any manouvres (sp!) and called vet.  Good luck with yours.


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## misst (16 March 2011)

Have PM'd you.


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## eventergirl87 (16 March 2011)

Depends on which collateral the injury is too 

Had problems with coffin joint one with my grey .... 2/10ths to really quite lame throughout the recovery. 

First presented as 1-2/10ths more so on circle 

Nerve blocks, x rays, and finally MRI 

He recovered (1yr box rest) then relapsed and now in on loan to a home for just hacking and light dressage and touch wood been sound for about 18 months.


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## digitalangel (16 March 2011)

thanks eventergirl - inside or outside of the circle? hard or soft ground?


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## Marchtime (16 March 2011)

Misst has probably already told you in pm (she's my mum ) but in case...
Intermittent lameness
Sound when trotted in a straight line on a hard even surface
1/10th lame when trotted on a circle on hard ground
2/10th lame when trotted on soft ground
He was lame on both reins but that is quite common. MRI showed worse damage to his right fore but there was more wear and tear to his left than you would expect in a horse of his age, hence bilateral lameness.
Improved with box rest and time off work but would relapse quickly (this was before diagnosis)
Improved with silicone gel pads in feet
Quite often footy after shoeing despite trying various farriers
Shortened stride length overall
My vet also said sometimes you can feel a very minimal amount of "swelling" over the front of the *pastern* (brain blank, do I mean pastern?  well either way the bit just above his hoof - it's been a long day!!!). Not sure if this is true of all cases but in Jesper's you could feel it was slightly more squishy than his left. Not very technical I know!


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## digitalangel (16 March 2011)

thanks so much marchtime, and yes your mums pm was very useful! I know what you mean about the swelling ( above coronary band, at the 10 o clock and/or 2 o clock position )


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## Loubiepoo (17 March 2011)

Medial, left fore ligament. Mine was intermittent lame in trot on a circle, only very slightly - I could feel it when riding more than seeing it when lunging him. Sound on a straight line. General short choppyness and lack of spring in stride.

Nerve blocks identified coffin joint area, was sound after rest and reshoeing and addressing the foot balance but damage had already been done and lame again soon afterwards. Injured leg - hoof quite upright and boxy on the medial side, probably confirmation fault.

MRI scan gave definitive diagnosis. No complete tears or lesions, just very inflammed, damaged fibres especially where it attached to the bones (at both ends) bone also inflammed. Slight swelling above the coronet band (easier to see when area clipped) at 1-2o'clock position. Only top part of ligament visable on ultrasound.

Shockwave x 3 treatments, PRP treatment and 3 months box rest. Gradually start exercise, handwalking, very small yard turnout, ridden walk, ridden trot, small individual paddock turnout etc

8 months on and I'm still not sure if he's going to stay sound, stride is still sometimes a bit choppy, but he has other ongoing issues as well (stifle).


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## digitalangel (17 March 2011)

thanks so much loubiepoo - was your horse lame on the inside or the outside of the circle though? reason i ask is that everything i read says soft tissue = outside of circle yet all the papers i read about collateral ligaments say the horses were diagnosed as lame on the inside of the circle. hence my confusion.


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## Loubiepoo (19 March 2011)

He was both, probably slightly worse with the lame leg on the inside of the circle, but was still 'not quite right' with it on the outside of the circle. Please feel free to message me if you have any more questions.


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## traceyann (19 March 2011)

Mine was 4 out five lame sound in walk and swelling above cornet band and some up to his knee tildren twice steroids irap all five injections and seven months box rest and barefoot hopping lame on circle so lame couldnt tell which leg


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## Uniique (20 March 2011)

Hi
On the day of lameness I brought my horses in from the field he was reluctant to move/ bear weight on the leg. When he stood he had his toe pointed to ground, no weight on hoof. BUT there was no swelling/ heat/ lumps or anything to give an idea of the problem. No outward sign apart from lameness. My horsses problem was in the OF and he was worse on the right rein, lightly improved on the left rein. He was also worse on a harder ssurface. They never blocked up to just above the knee BUT couldn't get him sound! He had problems secondry to the primary ligament damage which resolved themselves with the rest and ligament treatment.
If I can be of any use feel free to PM me.
Good Luck x


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