Is Valgus Or Varus More Common In Horses?

The most common deviation seen in young foals is in one or both of the front limbs and is called Carpus Valgus (outward deviation from the knee) (Figure 2).

What is valgus in horses?

Carpal Valgus or Knock Knees: in young horses and foals, the hoof often points outwards when carpal valgus is in place; in older horses, it might turn inwards to compensate. It receives this name because, because of the fetlock valgus, the knees appear to be closer together.

What is fetlock valgus?

fetlock. WINDSWEPT FOAL. An abnormality in which limbs are slanted in one direction in one limb (valgus) and in the opposite direction (varus) in the other.

What causes windswept legs in horses?

Windswept foals combine one valgus deviated limb and one varus. This is usually the result of being born a twin or being cramped in the womb in the same position. The term describes the appearance of the legs as bending the same direction as if blown by the wind (Figure 3).

What is ALD in horses?

Angular limb deformities (ALD) occur in foals and if left untreated may result in lameness and poor performance as adults. These deformities can be present at birth or develop as the foal ages.

What is the difference between varus and valgus?

Summary. Valgus alignment is known as knock knee syndrome. It shifts the load-bearing axis to the outside of the knee joint, forcing the knees to be positioned inward. Varus alignment, or bow leg syndrome, causes the load-bearing axis of the leg to shift to the inside, pushing the knees outward.

How much valgus is normal?

At 3 to 4 years of age, a femoral-tibial angle from 2 degrees varus to 20 degrees valgus is considered normal while neutral to 12 degrees valgus is normal over the age of 7 (Hensinger, 1986; Klin, 1983; Salenius, 1975).

What is valgus caused by?

Osteoarthritis is the most common cause, however, other causes include post-traumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, and renal osteodystrophy. Regardless of etiology, the valgus malalignment can be corrected with careful analysis of the deformity and a systematic surgical approach.

Can valgus be corrected?

Valgus deformities at the knee can be successfully corrected with V-shaped supracondylar osteotomy. The advantages of this relatively simple technique are low morbidity, good stability with early weight-bearing, no need for internal fixation, and ability to adjust alignment with postoperative cast.

What causes ankle valgus?

Ankle valgus is an insidious deformity that results in pronation of the foot and medial malleolar prominence. The causes are varied and include neuromuscular disorders, skeletal dysplasia, and clubfoot.

What is a knock kneed horse?

Knock knees (carpal valgus) is the horseman’s term for angular deformity of the horse’s carpus. In horses with this conformation problem, one or both carpi (improperly known as knees) deviate inward toward the opposite one.

What is knuckling in horse?

“Knuckling” is used to describe a deformity of the leg of a horse caused by a contraction of the posterior tendon of the fetlock.

How do you fix knock knees in horses?

The most common ways of treating angular limb deformities include corrective shoeing, splinting, exercise restriction and surgery.

What causes Lavender Foal Syndrome?

Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS) is caused by a recessive variant of the MYO5A gene. The recessive allele is commonly abbreviated as Lf, with the dominant wild-type allele abbreviated as N. Carriers of the recessive allele (N/Lf) have no symptoms of the disease.

What are the first signs of ALD?

ALD Symptoms

• loss of vision.
• learning disabilities.
• dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
• seizures.
• deafness.
• lack of coordination and balance.
• fatigue.
• intermittent vomiting.

What is Transphyseal bridging in horses?

Transphyseal Bridging: placement of screws & wires to slow growth of one side of the affected bone (growth retardation, Figure 6)

Is varus or valgus knee more common?

Of note, the prevalence of malalignment in knees without OA at baseline was not low; using a definition of neutral alignment as being 182° to 184°, 25% of 2,290 knees had varus alignment, and 36% had valgus alignment.

Is forefoot valgus or varus more common?

Forefoot Valgus
This is a structural or positional deformity that is most common in the forefoot. This is an everted position of the forefoot relative to the rearfoot at the level of the midtarsal joint.

Is bow legged valgus or varus?

A person who is knock-kneed has a medical condition known as a valgus deformity, an outward rotation of the tibia on the femur. Bowlegged describes a medical condition known as a varus deformity, an inward rotation of the tibia, resulting in a leg that appears bowed out.

Why is a valgus angle important?

The valgus cut angle (VCA) of the distal femur is determined based on the angle between the anatomical and mechanical axes of the femur. The mechanical axis is one of the most important factors determining prognosis of surgery (2-5).

How do you reduce valgus?

Probably the best way to prevent knee valgus is to do strengthening exercises targeting your hip, glute, and thigh muscles. When these areas are strong, you’ll prevent malalignment in your legs by keeping your knees locked directly under your hips.