PROPHYLACTIC PARTIAL STYLOHYOIDOSTECTOMY FOR HORSES WITH OSTEOARTHROPATHY OF THE TEMPOROHYOID JOINT

A technique of partial, unilateral, stylohyoidostectomy was developed for use in horses with chronic proliferative temporohyoid osteoarthros is and ankylosis to prevent stress fractures of the skull.Partial styl ohyoidostectomy may prevent fracture by eliminating forces on the skul l resulting from movement of the tongue and larynx. Clinical, radiogra phic and histologic effects of unilateral (n=4) and bilateral (n=1) pa rtial ostectomy performed in 5 horses were evaluated. Dysphagia was pr esent for 1 week following unilateral, partial ostectomy but the horse that had a bilateral, partial ostectomy had residual prehension and m astication deficits when it was euthanatized 5 weeks after surgery. A pseudoarthrosis occurred between the cut ends of the stylohyoid bone. Unilateral, partial stylohyoidostectomy was easily performed and cause d no permanent complications.