Long-Term Follow-Up Information of a Three-Tract Arthrodesis Technique for Treatment of Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis

Carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC-OA) is a crippling lameness that has been treated successfully by arthrodesis with a technique using fanning of a drill bit. Our objective was to conduct a long-term retrospective study, based on a telephone survey of owners, of horse treated with a three-drill-tract arthrodesis technique. The three-drill-tract arthrodesis technique was used on nine limbs of six horses, and the subjective outcome was determined by questions regarding postoperative pain, return to use, and owner's subjective opinion regarding “soundness” and success of treatment. Follow-up time was 52.8 months (range, 31 to 59 months). Immediate postoperative lameness was mild in two horses, moderate in three horses, and severe in one horse, and never improved in three which did not return to exercise. Three owners considered the surgical treatment successful, which included one broodmare thought to be free of lameness and two riding horses that were markedly improved but had slight lameness after use. Three considered the treatment a failure with two being lamer than before treatment, one of which required euthanasia. In conclusion, this technique had a low number of horses that were considered “sound” and successful, and it resulted in increased lameness in some horses. This has clinical relevancy as there are no other reports on the success of the thee-drill-tract arthrodesis technique in clinical cases of CMC-OA. The three-drill-tract arthrodesis technique described in this article is not recommended for treatment of horses with CMC-OA.