The most drastic treatments of navicular disease are surgical methods. Navicular suspensory desmotomy is simply the severing of the small ligaments that suspend the navicular bone in the foot. Cutting in the area of the bulbs of the heels allows the bone to relax and to have increased flexibility. Neurectomy is a last-resort procedure for an unsound horse, and it is one of the most controversial procedures in the industry. However, nerving is irreversible.
Surgeons use lasers to cap the ends of the nerves.
The procedure has grown more sophisticated in recent years, but the horse's inability to feel its foot, along with the potential danger to the rider, makes this treatment a last resort. Mass. Her work also includes publicizing and promoting lameness-related research and information for practical use by farriers, veterinarians, and horse owners.