Several years ago, Spencer Barber, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) achieved a first in equine surgery when he developed a successful arthrodesis (surgical fusion) technique for treating a debilitating arthritic condition in horses called carpal spavin.

This degenerative disease affects the carpometacarpal joint–the lower joint space of the knee in a horse’s front leg. Carpal spavin is most commonly diagnosed in middle-aged to older horses–especially in the Arabian and Quarter horse breeds.

Unfortunately, the pain associated with carpal spavin can’t be controlled with normal intra-articular medication used for other arthritic conditions in horses. As a result, affected horses usually become so severely lame that most patients are humanely euthanized within two to three years after diagnosis.

Barber’s surgical procedure offered horse owners a much more attractive option. By inserting a drill bit into a horse’s carpometacarpal joint in several places, Barber used a "fanning" motion to destroy cartilage and bone, helping the joint fuse together during the horse’s recovery. Once the joint fused, his patients were able to walk normally without any pain