This article is focusing on the treatment of DDFT contraction in young foals. It is not uncommon to see the condition in the newborn foal, but most cases will resolve spontaneously as the foal exercises, stretching its muscles. The affected hoof starts to shrink from lack of normal contact with the ground. Excessive pressure on the toe can lead to complications such as dished toe or seedy toe, or the tip of the coffin bone can undergo pathological changes. The tension on the flexor tendon can cause tendinitis and coffin bone rotation.
Flow chart shows the development of club foot in a foal.
The abnormal position of the toe can start a cycle that complicates flexural deformity. The degree of contraction indicates how severe the case is and helps in decision making, regardless of the method of treatment and the prognosis. Another way to assess the case is to lift the opposite limb off the ground and observe the distance the heels dropped by the extra weight. Cases in which the heels don't drop are obviously more severe and may have lost flexibility at the joint capsule. Grade II DDFT flexural contraction, the angle formed by the toe and the ground is slightly over 90 degrees.