Diagnostic Analgesia of the Equine Distal Limb

It is not uncommon that structural abnormalities causing horses to exhibit signs of forelimb lameness are located distal to the metacarpophalangeal joint. In an effort to identify the source of pain in such cases, veterinary practitioners inject local anesthetics either perineurally or intrasynovially to determine if desensitization of specific anatomic strucures improves the horse’s gait. When the lameness is no longer observed, diagnostic imaging techniques then are used in an attempt to identify the underlying abnormality. The results of recent studies indicate that slight variations in the procedures used can result in desensitization of additional anatomic structures, which potentially could lead to  an incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate therapy. The goal of this interactive book is to provide a concise, visual representation of the preferred application of the most commonly used techniques of diagnostic analgesia of the digit, and the structures desensitized using these techniques.