The survival rate for horses who undergo surgical lavage (flushing) of a joint or tendon sheath is “excellent.” That’s according to a new study from the University of Nottingham and CVS Group in the United Kingdom.

The research

For the study, veterinarians from 10 referral clinics around the United Kingdom submitted data on 240 horses admitted for treatment of synovial sepsis, an infection in the fluid within a joint, tendon sheath or bursa.

Synovial sepsis can be career-ending and even life-threatening because inflammation can potentially cause permanent damage to the affected joint. Treatment combines flushing the affected area (lavage) to dilute contaminants and reduce inflammation together with aggressive antimicrobial therapy.

The results

A year after treatment, the owners of the study horses were surveyed to determine outcomes. The data showed 95 percent of the horses that received treatment survived to be discharged. And 89 percent of those horses were still alive one year later. The researchers describe this as an “excellent prognosis.”

The researchers found several factors contributed to death or euthanasis in the 11 percent of horses that did not survive. These included injuries affecting the forelimbs and involvement of tendon sheaths and bursae.

In addition, the researchers note, “if the cause of injury was unknown to the owner or carer, this was associated with an increased likelihood of death.” The researchers call for more studies on the variables that affect the survival rates of horses undergoing synovial lavage treatment.

Reference: “Multicenter study investigating long-term survival after synovial lavage of contaminated and septic synovial structures in horses presented to 10 UK referral hospitals,” Therese C de Souza, John Burford, Evita Busschers, Sarah Freeman, Joanna M Suthers, Vet Surg, 2024 Aug; 53(6): 1083-1092

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