New Approach for Treating Horses with OCD Lesions

Cornell University researchers are examining the use of degradable pins for treating OCD lesions in horses.
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Classically, treating horses with small defects in the cartilage lining the ends of joints and the layer of bone directly underneath (the subchondral bone) could be summarized by the mantra, "If in doubt, cut it out." Now, Cornell University surgeons are saying, "If you want sound, pin it down."

"The traditional means of treating OCD (osteochondritis dissecans) lesions in the (stifle) joint have been by removing the flap of cartilage that is dislodged from the underlying bone and debriding or curetting (scraping out) the diseased subchondral bone," said Alan J. Nixon, BVSc, Dipl. ACVS, director of the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

This treatment approach can result in permanent loss of the subchondral bone, which in some cases can cause the joint to become unstable. An unstable joint negatively impacts soundness, performance, and can lead to the development of osteoarthritis.

In an attempt to abrogate these OCD-related complications, Nixon and colleagues tried a different approach: reattaching the cartilage to the underlying bone using tiny degradable pins

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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