Tenoscopy for Acute Septic Digital Flexor Tenosynovitis Treatment in 13 Thoroughbred Horses

Abstract

Septic tenosynovitis of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) is a potentially career-ending and lifethreatening problem in horses. This study aimed to describe the outcomes of tenoscopy for the treatment of acute septic digital flexor tenosynovitis in horses. Tenoscopy was performed on 13 Thoroughbred horses with acute septic tenosynovitis of the DFTS. Surgical time was 56-148 min (mean 85.6 min, median 84.0 min). In the synovial fluid analysis, mean white blood cell count, mean neutrophil proportion, and mean total protein were 42.9 × 10 3 cells/μl (range, 7.2-109.5 cells/μl), 89.5% (range, 68-97%), and 4.0 g/dl (range, 2.5-5.2 g/dl), respectively. Microbial growth in the synovial fluid culture was detected in 2 of 11 horses. All horses survived and returned to their intended use without complications. The present study demonstrated that the tenoscopy is useful for treating acute septic tenosynovitis of the DFTS in horses.