NEW METHODS FOR THE TREATMENT OF NAVICULAR DISEASE
by Dr. Hiltrud Strasser
More than 15 years of research and experience with the treatment of navicular
disease have revealed that pressure on the navicular region, as a result of
excessively long bars and heels, leads to a painful inflammation of the corium
adjacent to the navicular bone and, therefore, clinical lameness. The enlarged
cavities in the navicular bone, demonstrable by X-ray diagnosis, are not painful
and therefore are not related to clinical lameness. They are the result of congestion
of the digital arteries caused by an unphysiological position of the navicular
bone as a result of high heels and bars.
In the last 3 years, the course and healing of navicular syndrome was documented
on 53 horses of various breeds.
The shoes were removed, the living conditions of the horse changed to more closely
approximate the natural amount of movement of a horse each day, and the shape
of the hoof capsule was, over the course of months, returned (close) to its
natural form through proper trimming. Depending on the length of time the problem
had been in existence, and how far living conditions could be optimized, the
return to full use of a horse diagnosed with "podotrochlosis" can
take a few weeks to nine months.
In the course of several decades of observations, it was found that, through
the pressure of blood vessels congested by the contraction of the hoof through
shoeing, bone mass is reduced. This means that the passageways of blood vessels
in the navicular bone and coffin bone, in a shod horse or one with contracted
heels (no circulatory pump in the hoof capsule), are significantly enlarged
when compared to a horse with a sound foot and proper movement.
When a horse goes lame, more and more often X-rays are taken to aid in diagnosis.
When enlarged foraminae nutritiae are detected in the navicular bone, navicular
syndrome is usually the diagnosis.
The size and shape of these cavities varies in all horses. These variations
are attributed to a number of causes, from age to immunological deficiencies.
However, more recent studies have proven that there exists no direct relationship
between the shape of the cavities and clinical lameness.
However, what is proven 100% of the time is that "navicular" horses
ALL have long, underslung heels and bars which contact the ground (or shoe)
even when non-weighbearing. This causes a lever action into the sole and results
in bruising and tearing in the area of the bars under the navicular bone. To
escape the pain, the horse tries to put less pressure on the heeL and therefore
more on the toe; the angle between the coffim bone and middle phalanx decreases,
causing the navicular bone to close off the Aa. digitales. This results in congestion
above this point and enlargement of arteries.
Lameness disappears after elimination of this hoof form and restoration of the
natural, flat shape. No relapse has ever been noted.
This leads to the conclusion that the so-called "navicular syndrome"
has its cause in an unnatural hoof form, more specifically in excessively long
heels and bars, which put pressure into the navicular region and cause inflammation
(pain) of the corium in this area. Since, below the region of congestion, blood
flow and therefore nerve action is reduced, at first there is little or no pain
with this situation. Only after increased inflammation, which returns blood
to the affected area, is lameness noted.
The belief that steep hooves are proper (perhaps caused by the mistaken idea
that they relieve the flexor tendons) therefore causes many cases of navicular.
It is not navicular syndrome which is hereditary, but ignorance of the proper
hoof shape.
Copyright Dr. vet. med. H. Strasser
Blaihofstr. 42/1, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
Tel/Fax: (011) 49-7071-87572
Ed. & Canadian contact: Sabine Kells at email: textorder @ shaw.ca
©2006 by The Horse's Hoof. All rights reserved. No part of these publications
may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without the written permission of
the publisher and/or authors. The information contained within these articles
is intended for educational purposes only, and not for diagnosing or medicinally
prescribing in any way. Readers are cautioned to seek expert advice from a qualified
health professional before pursuing any form of treatment on their animals.
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
those of the publisher.
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