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Re: [RC] Tendon Sheath Injury - Bruce Weary DCHi Andrea--A little quick anatomy lesson first will help in explaining a tendon sheath injury. If you feel your calf at its thickest part, that is the meaty part of the muscle. The muscle narrows and becomes more fibrous as it gradually forms the Achilles' tendon. So, tendons are simply the narrow, tough, fibrous ends of a muscle. (I envision hundreds of Ridecampers with their hand on their Achilles' tendon right about now.) Tendons attach muscles to bones. In contrast, ligaments attach bones to bones. The tendon inserts into a sheath, sort of like how a knife inserts into its sheath. This "tendon sheath" has a synovial lining which is normally non-tender, and produces fluid to keep the tendon lubricated and strong. (As we age, if the synovial lining fails to do its job and produces less fluid, the tendon can "dry out" and become more prone to tearing due to loss of tensile strength. This is a factor in many rotator cuff tears, incidentally.) So, if your horse just whacked himself, the synovium will become very tender and produce more fluid as a result. There may be some heat as well. The horse's lower leg compartment is very restricted, so the fluid often has nowhere to go but up the leg. As a side note, where any given swelling or filling occurs in the leg can give real clues to the nature of an injury and which tissues may be involved. He may only be lame for as long as the "whacked" site is sore, or until the synovium calms down. Probably not as serious in your case as what happened to Angie' horse. Rest, ice and bute until the initial inflammation subsides, and then gradual return to work, watching the leg for any return of fluid after work. If there is, back off and rest some more. Splint boots might be a good investment in case he's prone to whacking himself when he's working. As a disclaimer, I'm not a vet, but I have delivered a litter of puppies once. Dr Q =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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