Hoof wall injuries

Hoof wall injuries are relatively common, occurring in varying degrees and including vertical tears and subtotal avulsions, usually when a horse steps on a stationary object. In an interview with dvm360, Daniel J. Burba, DVM, DACVS, a professor of equine surgery at Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, shared his approach to the injuries, as outlined during his session, "Treatment of Equine Foot Injuries," at the 2024 Southwest Veterinary Symposium.

Below is a partial transcript

Daniel J. Burba, DVM, DACVS: So, with the hoof wall injuries, a lot of times that hoof wall injury deals with the coronary band. And the coronary band is, as we all know, where the hoof starts its growth. And it's important that with hoof wall injuries, a good portion will [involve] the coronary band... So, one of the things I always check is [to] make sure [that] none of the deep structures, like the tendons or the joints in that area, like the coffin joint, is involved, and if it's not, then my goal is to try to get that coronary band back into [the] best apposition and alignment from where that where that injury is, so that when that hoof wall regrows or grows, [it will] be as... normal as possible.