Equine Lameness and Neurology Flashcards
7 cards from real ICVA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Equine Lameness and Neurology flashcards as text
What is the most common cause of forelimb lameness originating from the shoulder in adult horses?
Answer: Bicipital bursitis
Bicipital bursitis (inflammation of the bicipital bursa between the biceps brachii tendon and the humeral intertubercular groove) is the most common cause of shoulder lameness in adult horses.
Which clinical sign is pathognomonic for tetanus in horses?
Answer: Risus sardonicus (sardonic grin) and nictitating membrane prolapse with generalized muscle rigidity
Tetanus causes generalized spastic paralysis from tetanospasmin blocking inhibitory interneurons, with the sardonic grin and nictitating membrane prolapse being hallmark signs.
In evaluating a horse for hindlimb lameness, which test specifically loads the hock joint to detect hock pain?
Answer: Spavin test (tibiotarsal flexion test)
The spavin test involves flexing the hock for approximately 60 seconds and then immediately trotting the horse; increased lameness suggests hock pathology.
Laminitis rotation of the distal phalanx is best assessed radiographically using which measurement?
Answer: Palmar angle of the coffin bone relative to the ground or hoof wall
The rotation angle of the distal phalanx is measured as the angle between the dorsal hoof wall and the dorsal surface of the pedal bone on a lateromedial radiograph.
Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is most strongly associated with a deficiency of which nutrient?
Answer: Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
EMND is caused by chronic vitamin E deficiency, leading to oxidative damage to lower motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord.
Which block is used to differentiate between pain originating from the middle carpal (intercarpal) joint versus the radiocarpal joint?
Answer: Individual intra-articular blocks of each carpal joint
Because the radiocarpal and middle carpal joints do not communicate, each must be blocked individually to localize carpal pain to a specific compartment.
A horse with a high suspensory ligament injury (proximal suspensory desmitis) in the hindlimb is most accurately diagnosed using:
Answer: Ultrasonography with a linear high-frequency probe
Ultrasonography with a high-frequency linear probe is the gold standard for evaluating suspensory ligament integrity, fiber alignment, and lesion extent.