[Navicular disease in the hind limb of a Warmblood horse].
Authors: Meijer, Rijkenhuizen
Journal: Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Navicular Disease in the Equine Hind Limb Navicular disease typically affects the forelimbs, making hindlimb presentations diagnostically challenging and relatively uncommon in clinical practice. This case study documents a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare presenting with acute lameness of the left hindlimb, where clinical examination, radiography, and bursoscopic visualisation confirmed navicular disease of the distal tarsal region. The therapeutic approach combined conservative management—stall rest and NSAIDs—with intrabursal injections of short-acting corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid, alongside corrective farriery, with treatment cycles repeated when lameness recurred. The mare returned to previous performance levels, suggesting that multimodal intervention may be effective even in hindlimb cases, though the single-case format limits generalisation about prognosis. For practitioners, this case illustrates the diagnostic value of bursoscopy in atypical presentations and reinforces that hindlimb navicular disease warrants consideration in chronic or acute hindlimb lameness, particularly in performance horses where forelimb-centric assumptions might delay diagnosis.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Navicular disease affecting hind limbs is treatable with multimodal therapy combining rest, shoeing modifications, systemic and intrabursal medications, though recurrence may occur requiring repeated intervention
- •Bursascopy is a useful diagnostic tool for confirming navicular disease and may support treatment planning
- •Even older performance horses (12 years) can return to previous work levels with appropriate management of navicular disease
Key Findings
- •Navicular disease was diagnosed in a 12-year-old Warmblood mare presenting with 1-month history of left hind limb lameness using clinical examination, radiological imaging, and bursascopy
- •Combined therapy of stall rest, NSAIDs, orthopedic shoeing, and intrabursal injections of corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid achieved clinical resolution with recurrence managed by therapy repetition
- •Horse returned to previous performance level following treatment course, demonstrating potential for functional recovery in navicular disease cases