Does temporomandibular joint pathology affect performance in an equine athlete?

Abstract

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathology is a rarely reported cause of decreased performance among equine athletes or at least seldom recognised. This case report describes the work-up of a high level dressage horse with decreased performance. Temporomandibular joint pathology was suspected based on computed tomography (CT) and the horse responded very well to joint treatment.

Equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease: Professional polarity and caregiver bias

“…The paper by Jørgensen et al . () in this issue is intriguing and raises a number of questions. The authors describe the case of a horse that was not performing as expected.…”

“…This author commends Jørgensen et al . () for publishing this report for several reasons. Firstly, they were willing to listen and act upon the concerns of the owner to the point that, to their surprise, a positive improvement was made following analgesia of the joint.…”

“…The problem, which Jørgensen et al . () correctly address, is that the decision‐making process throughout the case was entirely subjective and hinged on unavoidable caregiver bias. The results of the intra‐articular block were determined based on a riding examination by the very person that requested the diagnostic technique.…”

“…In the situation described by Jørgensen et al . (), a horse was presented by a client who had a deep seated belief that the problem was in the TMJ. Imaging was performed, an abnormality detected and analgesia of the joint was then performed.…”

“…However, in the report by Jørgensen et al . (), advanced imaging techniques were used and a morphological abnormality within the suspected joint was found. Once again, however, having recently examined a large number of computed tomographic studies of the equine head, the abnormalities described in the current case report are present in approximately 30% of all horses.…”