| Developmental Orthopaedic Disease: A Review of Nutritional and Medical Advances |
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Before the term developmental orthopaedic disease was used to describe the orthopaedic issues seen in the growing horse, the term "metabolic bone disease" encompassed this spectrum of conditions. The term remained misleading, however, because it implied the diseases shared a common cause or pathogenesis. Many problems occuring in young horses manifest not only in the skeleton, but in joints and growth plates as well. Developmental orthopaedic disease (DOD) is a non-specific term that includes all general growth troubles of horses. These are categorized to include: osteochondritis dissecans; osteochondrosis; angular limb deformities; physistis; cubodial bone malformation; and wobbler syndrome. A variety of etiological factors that cause DOD have been identified, leading to uncertainty about a single origin for each of the disease's various forms. At present, DOD is considered a multifactorial disease and affects an average of 10% of foals bred as performance horses. These breeds include but are not limited to Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses Standardbreds, eventing and reining horses. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 16 April 2007 ) |
