Physitis

• In horses
• Often associated with angular limb deformity
• Also called epiphysitis and physeal dysplasia
• Problem of endochondral ossification
• Two age groups
  • Weanlings
  • Yearlings in early training and two-year-olds
• May cause contracted tendons and flexural deformities
• Factors probably involved in its development:
  • Genetically fast growth rate
  • Large quantities of imbalanced, high energy feed
  • Imbalanced weight-bearing on joints
  • Excessive activity
  • Growth spurts
• Histologically: (appearance similar to angular limb deformity)
  • Lateral aspect of radius
    • Thickened metaphyseal part of physeal cartilage
    • -> Delay or disturbance of endochondral ossification
    • Compression
  • Central part
    • No obvious deformity
  • Medial aspect
    • Tension
    • -> Transverse fractures and repair
  • Laxity of periarticular attachements in young foals allows angular limb deformity; not occuring in older foals and young horses
  • (Sustained trauma produces similar lesions)