Equine TMJ Disease: Why So Rare? (AAEP 2010)

A resurgence of interest in the equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) (which allows for opening and closing of a horse’s mouth) has led to discussions on the relationship of TMJ disease to weight loss or behavioral changes in horses.
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A resurgence of interest in the equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) (which allows for opening and closing of a horse’s mouth) led James Carmalt, MA, VetMB, MVetSc, FRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, ABVP (Eq), of the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine, to discuss the relationship of TMJ disease to weight loss or behavioral changes in horses. At the 2010 Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md., Carmalt reviewed his study on how the TMJ responds to short-term inflammation as compared to the load-bearing fetlock joint.

Carmalt remarked that a horse grazes 18-21 hours per day, experiencing a staggering number of TMJ repetitive motions over time. Yet he said that the incidence of published, true TMJ disease in the horse is negligible, whereas human TMJ disease is relatively common.

Tooth floating has not been shown to consistently improve weight gain in the horse, therefore more horses are referred for TMJ disease, he noted.

"The feeling is that either this is a rare disease or we are not picking it up," said Carmalt. There are case reports of septic arthritis in the TMJ with secondary osteoarthritis or cases of post-traumatic inflammation, but there are no reports of primary equine TMJ disease; either horses are coping with the problem, horse owners and veterinarians are missing the condition, or it is not a real problem, according to Carmalt

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Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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