Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Aspects of the pathology of stifle bone cysts in the horse.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal
- Year:
- 1983
- Authors:
- Jeffcott, L B et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This study looked at bone cysts in the stifle (knee) of six Thoroughbred or partbred horses. The cysts were found in a specific area of the femur (thigh bone) and did not cause any damage to the surrounding joint surfaces. In three of the horses, the cysts were only on one side, but there were early signs of a similar issue on the other side. The newer cysts were filled with fluid and had some fibrous tissue, while the older ones contained more dense material. Overall, the researchers did not find any signs that the cysts were turning into bone.
Abstract
The gross and histological appearance of subchondral bone cysts in six Thoroughbred or partbred horses is described. The lesions were all situated in the centre of the medial femoral condyle and were not associated with any other damage to the articular surface of the femorotibial or femoropatellar joints. In three cases the cysts were unilateral but had an early non-cystic lesion present in the opposite stifle. All the cysts had a narrow channel at their distal extremity which communicated with the femorotibial joint. The more recently developed ones were fluid filled and contained fibrous strands, while those in the older horses contained dense fibrotic detritus. No signs of significant ossification of the cysts were detected. The likely pathogenesis of these lesions is discussed in the light of the pathological findings.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6641677/