Equine Spine & Joint Care

12/03/2024

09/22/2024

Kissing Spines, or Overriding of the Dorsal Spinous Processes, is a commonly diagnosed problem affecting athletic horses in disciplines varying from barrel racing to racing thoroughbreds to dressage and jumpers. Radiographs are most commonly used to find dorsal spinous processes that are touching, and causing pain. From there, a plan to address the pain caused by these touching DSPs is formulated.

Many times, surgery to create space between the DSPs is recommended. This involves removing some part of the DSPs that are in contact. This is a faulty way to approach Kissing Spines.

Kissing Spines is not a primary disease, it is a symptom caused by lack of stability and support in the thoracolumbar spine. This lack of support leads to a "hollowed out" posture. (See picture showing various postures of the thoracolumbar spine)

There are multiple reasons that stability and support may be lacking. Some of these reasons include:
-Lack of hind end collection due to inadequate muscular development
-Injury to the muscles supporting the spine. This can result from slip and fall type accidents.
-Osteoarthritis of articular facets in the thoracolumbar spine
-OCD lesions in the thoracolumbar spine
-Pelvic injuries that make hind end collection painful
-Injury to the psoas muscle

Any time a horse is diagnosed with Kissing Spines, further diagnosis is required to find the primary cause responsible for the loss of stability and support for the spine. Once the primary cause is found, an appropriate plan can be implemented to address the real issue.

Addressing the primary cause of thoracolumbar instability leads to a much better outcome with less risk of causing further harm to the horse's back.

08/04/2024

Kissing Spines is NOT a disease!
It is a SYMPTOM of spinal instability.

08/02/2024

A commonly overlooked cause of lameness, reduced range of motion in the hind end, and decreased performance in athletic horses is osteoarthritis of the hip, or coxofemoral joints. Pain in this region is commonly attributed to the stifles. In cases of hip arthritis, stifle injections do not seem to help much, if at all.

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a common hip disorder in horses that can lead to permanent lameness. It's caused by a loss of cartilage in the joints, which can be due to aging, trauma, or excessive use. Coxitis, an inflammation of the hip, can also lead to osteoarthritis.

Signs of hip arthritis in horses include:
Lameness: This can be intermittent, sudden, or slowly progressive, and may affect both the supporting and swinging leg.
Reduced range of motion: This can worsen over time.
Pain: The horse may be painful when the joint is manipulated, or may experience pain in the hips, buttocks, or groin that worsens during activity.
Stiffness: The horse may be stiff when first coming out of its stall or starting work, but may feel more comfortable after warming up.

Diagnosis of hip arthritis in the field can be made using ultrasound.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but it's usually possible to slow its progression with proper management. Treatments can include:
Anti-inflammatories such as NSAIDs or intra-articular corticosteroids, these can help relieve pain.
Biologic therapies such as platelet-rich plasma can help slow or stop the progression of the disease.

If you have a nagging lameness or change in your horse's gait that has been difficult to diagnose and treat, Dr. Taraba may be able to help. With over 22 years of experience diagnosing and helping some of the top equine athletes in multiple disciplines, Dr. Taraba has the specialized knowledge to accurately locate all types of musculoskeletal problems.