Suspensory Ligament Injuries: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Suspensory Ligament Injuries in Sport Horses Suspensory ligament injuries remain a leading cause of lameness in performance horses, yet their management requires nuanced understanding of both acute pathology and long-term rehabilitation. Zielińska and colleagues synthesise current evidence on the aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and treatment protocols for these injuries, emphasising that despite the suspensory apparatus's considerable load-bearing capacity (requiring approximately 1338 kg of force to sustain injury), damage still occurs with significant frequency in sport populations. Diagnosis demands a systematic approach combining orthopaedic examination with advanced imaging, particularly ultrasound, which allows practitioners to identify structural damage and monitor healing progression throughout recovery. The authors highlight that rehabilitation outcomes are optimised through graded exercise protocols coupled with regular ultrasound assessment, representing the evidence-based standard for returning affected horses to pre-injury performance levels. For farriers, veterinarians and rehabilitation specialists, this work underscores the importance of tailoring treatment intensity to the specific healing phase and maintaining disciplined monitoring throughout the convalescent period rather than relying on time-based protocols alone.

Read the full abstract on the publisher's site

Key Findings

• •Suspensory ligament injuries are a major cause of lameness in sports horses
• •Average force of 1338 kg is required to damage the suspensory apparatus
• •Diagnosis requires orthopedic examination combined with imaging diagnostics
• •Controlled exercise programmes with ultrasound monitoring is the gold standard for rehabilitation to pre-injury activity levels

Conditions Studied