Equis ISSN 2398-2977
Carpal joint: disease - overview
Contributor(s): Helen Herinckx, Graham Munroe
Introduction
- Incidence: the carpus is a common site for both congenital and acquired conditions associated with lameness.
- Cause: many potential causes - primary and secondary. Trauma is the most common secondary cause.
- Signs: variable. Some conditions, eg hygroma, cause deformity without lameness.
- Diagnosis: clinical examination and range of ancillary aids including joint anesthesia and radiography.
- Treatment: depends on cause.
- Prognosis: depends on cause.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
Trauma
Infectious
Multifactorial
Congenital and perinatal conditions
Immune-mediated
Miscellaneous
Predisposing factors
General
- Septic conditions:
- Carpal fractures:
- Poor conformation, especially misalignment of radius, ulna or MC3 results in increased axial compressive forces on one side and tensional forces on the opposite side Musculoskeletal: conformation .
- High motion joint often damaged at high speeds due to over-extension of joint(s) Carpus: fracture - chip .
- Poor conformation, eg offset knee (bench knee), back-at-the-knee (calf-knee), carpal varus/valgus
predispose to abnormal joint stresses which can → the development of joint pathology.
Pathophysiology
- The carpal joint is the articulation between the carpal bones and the metacarpal bones distally, and the radius and ulna proximally.
- Three distinct joint spaces are recognized: the antebrachiocarpal, the midcarpal and the carpometacarpal joints; with intercarpal joints forming the articulations between the carpal bones in each layer.
- The antebrachiocarpal and midcarpal joints are hinge joints with the vast majority of movement occurring here.
- The carpometacarpal and intercarpal joints are arthrodial, allowing little opening movement.
- See also Joint: synovial pathobiology Joint: synovial pathobiology .
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
Other sources of information
- Ross M W (2003) The Carpus. In: Diagnosis & Management of Lameness in the Horse. Eds: Ross M W & Dyson S J. Saunders, USA. pp 376-393.