Tiludronate, Shock Wave to Treat Bucked Shins
Radiographs obtained at the time of diagnosis (left) show stress fractures in this horse's leg. Radiographs obtained at the end of the study and post-treatment (right) show stress fracture resolution. | Photo: Ryan Carpenter
Rarely has a racehorse practitioner not encountered a case of bucked shins (also called dorsal metacarpal disease, or DMD). This commonly identified racehorse injury has both mechanical and biologic roots, so one veterinarian recently set out to test a new treatment protocol in hopes of getting quicker and better results than current treatment options offer.

At the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif., Ryan S. Carpenter, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, a practitioner at Equine Medical Center in Cypress, Calif., described the results of a small trial he completed recently.

Bucked shins, Carpenter explained, are caused by “inadequate bone modeling and remodeling, resulting in fatigue failure” of the cannon bone; severe cases can result in stress fractures. Early signs of the condition include sensitivity to palpation; lameness only develops if the bone is overloaded continually during racing or training, he said. Stress fractures are identified via radiographs.

Currently, veterinarians recommend conservative management (i.e., stall rest) for horses with DMD that haven’t developed fractures; more severely affected animals typically require surgery. However even with surgery, Carpenter said, success rates are variable, and it often takes eight or more months for horses to make their first post-injury start

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