Question of the Day

Think of sacroiliac (SI) disease in an athletic jumping horse with:
– Intermittent hindlimb lameness localized in the croup (rump)
– Evidence of back pain
– Swelling over the tuber sacrale (“hunter’s bumps”)

Horses with hunter’s bumps can be sound if the injury has completely healed, but lameness can be observed if the injury is recent or has never resolved.

It is important to rule out other causes of hind end lameness or back pain/strain. Ultrasound per rectum or local anesthesia infiltration of the SI region can help confirm the diagnosis. However, most often treatment is administered instead (i.e., inject area with steroids and analgesics) and the response to therapy monitored.

Coxofemoral luxation is rare in horses due to a deep acetabulaum and the presence of the accessory ligament of the hip, unique to horses.

Overlapping vertebral spinous processes (a.k.a. “kissing spines”) is a problem of thoracic and lumbar vertebra under the saddle area, seen in short-backed eventing horses (hunter/jumpers, dressage).

Cauda equina (polyneuritis equi) can cause gluteal muscle atrophy, but also causes tail paralysis, urinary and fecal incontinence, perineal analgesia or paresthesia, and mild hind limb ataxia.