Splints is an ailment of the horse or pony, characterized by a hard, bony swelling, usually on the inside of a front leg, lying between the splint and cannon bone or on the splint bone itself. It may be "hot," meaning that it occurred recently and is still painful; or "cold," meaning that the splint has completely recovered and there is no longer any swelling or pain associated with it. Bucked shins are sometimes called 'shin splints,' which involve small stress fractures of the dorsal cannon bone, often seen in race training, and discussed elsewhere.
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KT Tape: Shin Splints
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Training VLOG update: February 2013
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SHIN SPLINTS: TREATMENT AND PREVENTION FOR RUNNERS! | SAGE RUNNING TIPS
Transcription
[Music] I'm Chris Harper and with me is Makayla and we're here to demonstrate an application for shin splints. This can be pain anywhere along the inner shin of the front of the leg and in this case I'm just going to use a red dot and actually place that where the pain may be. Your pain may vary, and we're going to tape relative to this dot. Some causes of this may be over use, inflammation, changing running surfaces, poorly fitting or worn out shoes, or drastic increases in activity. KT Tape helps treat this condition by relaxing associated musculature, relieving pressure on tissue to reduce pain, and may increase circulation. for this application we're actually going to place the foot in plantar flexion or toes away from the shin. So sliding that foot down. We're going to take our first full strip, and we're going to twist and tear the backing paper towards the logo end of the tape to create an anchor point. We're being very careful not to touch the adhesive on the tape and just handle the tape with the paper. We're going to remove the paper backing, and we're going to place this on fifty percent stretch, so stretch all the way out and then back off about half way. We're going to tape right over that point of pain again your pain may be in a slightly different location. And as we take the paper off that last bit of tape we're just going to apply with absolutely zero stretch. Give that a quick rub to create a little friction that allows it to adhere much better to the skin. For our next piece we're going to take a full strip, and this time we're going to fold it in half, and on the folded end, we're actually going to cut rounded corners. The rounded corners just help the tape not get caught on clothing and peel off prematurely. We're going to take our first strip and twist and tear that backing paper to create and anchor at the end of the tape. We're going to place this just above that point of pain, laying that anchor down with absolutely zero stretch. We're going to peel that paper off, again being very careful not to touch the adhesive. Handle the tape just with the paper. We're going to apply this with eighty-percent stretch, so if you stretch all the way out to one-hundred percent and then back that off just a little bit. We're going to lay this down, though the last bit of tape we're going to remove the paper and lay it down with absolutely zero stretch. A quick little rub, just to make sure it's adhering well. We're going to take our next strip, and just like that first half strip we're going to tear the end of the tape to create an anchor point. This time we're placing this just below the point of pain. Again, anchoring with absolutely zero stretch without touching the adhesive. We're going to put that on eighty percent stretch, lay that down on the very end of the tape. We're going to remove the paper backing and lay that down with absolutely zero stretch. Give the whole the a good rub, the heat that you create with friction helps it adhere much better to the skin. That looks great! Some helpful tips before applying is to remove and skin oil or lotions you may have on there. Also, stretching the calves out may help. Shave or trip area if you have hair over the lower leg. Wear a sock to sleep just so the tape doesn't roll if you roll around while sleeping. Some complementary treatments may include rest ice, massage, and some strengthening. Please seek care if you have severe pain, swelling or sharp, or very difficult pain spots along that shin. For more information visit our website at www.kttape.com.
Anatomy
The splint bones, (metacarpal or metatarsal II and IV), which are remnants of two of the five toes of prehistoric horses, run down either side of the cannon bone. They narrow as they go from the carpal or tarsal joint down, and form a "button" at the bottom or their length, a few inches above the fetlock. Splint bones are attached to the cannon by the interosseous (suspensory) ligament, providing some mobility in the young horse. As the horse ages, the interosseous ligament is typically replaced by bone. In some older horses, the cannon and splint bones may become completely fused.
Causes
Direct trauma, such as from an interference injury or a kick from another horse, is a common causes of splints. The periosteum is damaged by the trauma, and the horse's body lays down new bone in the injured area. Splints caused by trauma are more commonly seen lower down the leg than ones caused by strain. The splints may occur in a front leg or hind, in one leg or both. Severe enough trauma can fracture the splint bone. If minimally displaced, and in the lower portion, some heal well. Others may need surgical removal of a portion of the damaged splint bone.[1]
Concussion is another cause of splints. Concussive forces run from the carpus or tarsus into the splint bones. Working a horse on hard surfaces increases the concussion received by the interosseous ligament, which causes tearing. Splints caused by concussion are usually found on both front legs, most commonly on the inside of the leg a few inches below the knee.
Overworking young or unfit horses at speed or in tight circles may cause splints. The uneven loading of the limb in tight circles places excessive force on the medial splint, which can cause it to move excessively relative to the cannon bone, causing tears in the interosseous ligament and periosteal reaction.
Bench-kneed conformation causes excess loading of the medial splint bone, which can lead to splints.[2]
Blind splints
Because the splint bone does have some mobility independent of the cannon bone, it can cause tension and strain on the periosteum of the splint bone where the interosseous ligament attaches. The horse will then lay down new bone and the area will become inflamed. "Blind splints" are named because the bony reaction happens on the inside border between the splint bone and cannon bone, where it can not be seen, and is usually not palpable. Besides causing pain as any active splint reaction can, the swelling can impinge on the suspensory ligament. This condition is difficult to diagnose, but ultrasound is generally diagnostic.[3] MRI and CT also show these well.[4]
Symptoms
Splints usually cause mild lameness (a grade of 1–2 out of 5). The injured area is hot, painful, and inflamed with a small bony swelling. However, splints do not always cause lameness, especially once "cold". More severe lameness is sometimes associated with a fractured splint bone, or soft tissue injury adjacent to the splints.
"Blind splints" usually produce mild lameness that is difficult to pinpoint because there is no obvious swelling, pain, or bony changes related to the exterior of the splint bone. At times, bone proliferation on the axial border of the splint bone can be seen radiographically, but ultrasound is much more sensitive for detecting blind splints.
The body will eventually absorb some of the bone it placed down in the splint, flattening out the splint over several months and possibly making it completely disappear. A splint involving the cannon alone is more likely to disappear than one involving the splint bone itself.
Treatment
The horse should have a reduced workload for 1–3 weeks. If a trainer does not decrease the workload sufficiently, and the splint bone continues to receive concussion, the injury is likely to continue or worsen. Light exercise on soft ground is best for a horse with splints, as work can help encourage the needed bone growth to heal the splint. Those trainers concerned with the cosmetic appearance of their horse usually prefer to hand-walk twice daily and keep the animal stalled until the splint is resolved, eliminating the chance that the splint will accidentally be knocked during work and the swelling increased.
Several days of cold therapy, sweats, and NSAIDs can help a "hot" splint. NSAIDs can help reduce the inflammation and help the bone growth by doing so. However, none of these treatments are incredibly effective. The most important factor is time. Counter-irritants, which increase inflammation, only hinder the formation of bone and can actually prolong the healing process.
Surgery to remove the fractured end of the splint bone, particularly in the lower third, is typically successful. However, surgical removal of the bone growth in large splints, performed by chiseling it away, usually does not produce satisfying results. Often, bone growth is stimulated by the surgery, and the size of the splint is increased. Only about a third of the time is surgery at all successful.
Prognosis
Prognosis is excellent in uncomplicated cases. The horse will be able to return to full work once the inflammation and pain ceases. Although the horse usually recovers quite quickly, horses with "blind splints" may take longer because there may be impingement on the suspensory ligament. The calcification of the splint is usually a permanent blemish, though over a period of many years, the excess calcification may be reabsorbed to some degree, occasionally to the point that the splint is no longer visible.
References
- ^ Stashak, Ted S. (2002). "Fractures of the small Metacarpal and Metatarsal (splint) bones". Adams' lameness in Horses (5th ed.). Blackwell. pp. 821–824. ISBN 0-7817-4195-5. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ Stashak, Ted S. (2002). "Metacarpal/Metatarsal exostosis (splints)". Adams' lameness in Horses (5th ed.). Blackwell. pp. 818–821. ISBN 0-7817-4195-5. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ Reef, VB (1998). "Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography". Equine Diagnostic Ultrasound. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders. p. 106. ISBN 0-7216-5023-6.
- ^ "Blind Splint Case Study". Retrieved 2008-04-25.
Sources
King, Christine, BVSc, MACVSc, and Mansmann, Richard, VDM, PhD. "Equine Lameness." Equine Research, Inc. 1997. Pages 752–757.
External links
This page was last edited on 6 June 2022, at 14:15