What type of joint is the stifle?

What type of joint is the stifle?

polycentric joint
The stifle (dog knee) is a polycentric joint rather than a monocentric (simple hinge) joint. In addition to sagittal motion, a certain amount of frontal and transverse plane motion provides livelier and more adaptive function.

What is the stifle joint on a horse?

The stifle is the area where the tibia, the bone that forms the gaskin, meets the femur, the bone that extends upward to the hip. The stifle is analogous to the human knee: When you pick up a horse’s hind leg, the joint bends forward, just as your knee does as you climb a staircase.

Why are stifle joints important to a horse?

Stifle joints help the horse bend its rear legs and stabilize itself, as these joints are actually meant to lock when standing. This important function is part of a horse’s stay apparatus (an arrangement of muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the hind limbs that work together so that it can remain standing using very little muscular effort).

What kind of injury is a stifle joint?

Stifle joint disruption is a severe injury, resulting in complete dislocation of the tibiofemoral joint and severe instability (Fig. 38-16 ). This injury is caused by rupture of several of the ligamentous joint stabilizers, including the collateral ligaments, cruciate ligaments, and joint capsule.

How is a stifle joint like a pencil?

The cranial two thirds of the pencil-like ligament can be grasped. With stifle injury, swelling from the joint pushes forward around the caudal and lateral aspects of the patellar ligament, making the ligament less distinct and more band-like than pencil-like.

Where are the ligaments of the stifle joint located?

The intermeniscal ligament is a transverse fibrous band that extends from the caudal side of the cranial tibial ligament of the medial meniscus to the cranial side of the cranial tibial ligament of the lateral meniscus (see Figure 62-2 ). 118 Figure 62-2 Menisci and ligaments of the stifle joint, dorsal aspect.

What are signs of stifle problems?

Should your horse experience a stifle injury, you may witness the following: Swelling Lameness Seemingly intolerant of exercise Kneecap locking up Joint thickening

What are symptoms of stifle problems?

When stifle trouble strikes, the symptoms include heat, swelling and lameness as well as back and croup soreness, which are similar to those of hock problems, initially making diagnosis difficult, says Dr. MacDonald. In addition, the stifle-sore horse may exhibit common performance issues, such as stiffness,…

What can I do for a stifle injury?

Start a targeted exercise program. If your horse’s locked stifle is ongoing and seems to be ruining its quality of life, intervene with exercise. Targeted exercise of its hind quarters will strengthen the tension of the ligament around its stifle, relieving the problem.