Abstract
In order to establish the incidence of vacuum phenomenon in horses' carpal, metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints, stress-flexed radiographs were made of normal joints, joints with known pathology and in anaesthetised horses with joints under traction. Focal intra-articular radiolucencies were identified in normal stress-flexed carpal, metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints. These radiolucencies can be confused with those associated with pathological conditions.
Highlights
The vacuum phenomenon is recognised in joints in which stress distracts the opposing articular surfaces[13]
Metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints were made. These joints were selected for the ease with which they can be radiographed and because the vacuum phenomenon has been described previously in the metatarsophalangeal joint of a horse[15]
Gas was detected in 1 carpus, 1 metacarpophalangeal joint and 3 metatarsophalangeal joints in Part 1 of the study
Summary
The vacuum phenomenon is recognised in joints in which stress distracts the opposing articular surfaces[13]. It has been postulated that increasing the joint space creates a negative pressure that attracts gas from surrounding extracellular spaces[9]. This gas accumulates in the joint[2], filling the void created in the synovial fluid[13]. Gas has commonly been noted between human articular facets and intervertebral disc spaces[4,8,12,13] associated with degenerative disc disease. The most widely recognised example of this phenomenon is secondary to the traction-induced vacuum seen in hyper-extended shoulders and hips in paediatric radiographs[9,10]
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