This is a 5 year old standardbred who is still racing. Although the fetlock joint is very bad, it has become chronic and is enabling the horse to race. He is defiantly at the end of his racing career.
The horse has been kept racing thanks to frequent shock wave therapy.

Arthroscopy can also be used to remove small bone fragments (chips), that cause irritation and inflammation of the joint. Big chips require more invasive surgery techniques.

Arthroscopy is a mildly invasive technique that allows a faster and better recovery when compared to traditional surgery.

The Idea behind the procedure is that a horse that is developing osteoarthritis in the lower hock joints (also referred to as “bone spavin” or fusing the hocks) and inflammation of the cunean bursa (bursitis) is to relieve the tension on the cunean bursa (that lies underneath the tendon) without causing any gait abnormalities. These arthritic changes that the horse is going through are a common cause of lameness in horses, especially those that have to turn with their hind feet for a living (like barrel racing horses, cutting horses, trotters, etc.). The inflammation in the Hocks can be regulated by applying medication systemically or locally (usually Hyaluronic acid) and by this diminishing the inflammation and furtherly lubricating the joints. The cunean bursa is a synovial structure that lies between the cunean tendon (which is found on the medial part of the lower joints of the hock) and the bone. when the hocks are going through these arthritic changes, pressure is applied on the lower joints from the tendon and the inflammation of the bursa is an additional cause of discomfort to the horse and results in lameness. Injection of a local anesthetic in the cunean bursa and the horse going sound gives good indication for either injecting the cunean bursa or cutting of the tendon. When more aggressive treatment is warranted, the cutting of the tendon is the treatment of choice.

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