Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41883235›Full record

ArticleVeterinary surgery : VS2026

Macroscopic comparison of open Metzenbaum and ultrasound-guided fasciotomy techniques for surgical treatment of the hindlimb proximal suspensory ligament desmopathy in horses: A cadaveric anatomical study.

Grigorios Maleas, Kristyna Hargitaiova

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Veterinary surgery : VS, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Grigorios MaleasEquuria Orthopedics GbR, Emstek, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1774-6840
Kristyna HargitaiovaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3020-7319

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo macroscopically characterize and compare the open Metzenbaum (FOM) and ultrasound-guided (FUG) plantar fasciotomy techniques for decompression of the hindlimb proximal suspensory ligament (PSL), and to determine whether either approach induces intraligamentous splitting (ILS). STUDY

designCadaveric experimental study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Paired hindlimbs from 10 adult horses with no history of hindlimb lameness.

methodsEach horse contributed one limb to FOM and the contralateral to FUG. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon, and incision measurements were obtained by a blinded examiner. Skin, fascia, and ILS lengths were recorded after dissection. Integrity of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DBLPN) was evaluated macroscopically. Paired t-tests compared FOM and FUG values (p < .05).

resultsBoth techniques induced PSL ILS. Mean ± SD incision lengths (cm) for FOM versus FUG were: skin 5.02 ± 0.41 versus 1.28 ± 0.18; fascia 5.54 ± 0.44 versus 4.39 ± 0.22; and ILS 5.33 ± 0.42 versus 4.37 ± 0.24. The FUG technique produced 74% shorter skin, 21% shorter fasciotomy, and 18% shorter ILS incisions compared to FOM (all p < .0001). No macroscopic evidence of DBLPN injury was observed.

conclusionBoth FOM and FUG plantar fasciotomy techniques produced ILS while achieving PSL decompression. FUG required smaller incisions, confirming comparable anatomical efficacy with reduced invasiveness. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intraligamentous splitting appears unavoidable during plantar fasciotomy, but the FUG technique limits its extent and associated soft-tissue disruption, supporting its use as a safer, less invasive alternative in clinical cases of chronic PSL desmopathy.

Indexed as

Decompression, SurgicalFasciotomyHindlimbHorse DiseasesLigamentsAnimalsCadaverHorsesUltrasonography, Interventional

Identifiers

PMID41883235
PMCPMC13420952

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.