Windpuffs Are a Warning Sign!
Windpuffs refer to soft, fluidy outpouchings on a horse’s leg located at the back of the ankle
behind the cannon bone, below the splint bone, and in front of the suspensory ligament. These
outpouchings are actually part of the fetlock joint itself, and the soft swelling you can see & feel is an
accumulation of joint fluid. In some horses this can be an incidental finding that is not associated with
lameness. However, in many cases it can mean that there is inflammation within of the joint. This can
be caused by many things, such as arthritis, chip fractures, OCD lesions, or damage to the cartilage or
the soft tissue structures inside of the joint.
A small amount of fluid accumulation here may be normal for your horse, especially if this is not
a new finding or if there is similar swelling in other limbs. However, if this is a recent occurrence or if
there is more swelling in 1 leg than in the others, or if the swelling is very obvious, then a veterinarian
should examine your horse to make sure this isn’t a sign of a problem within the joint. Typically your vet
can get an idea of whether or not this is a problem by doing a thorough physical exam, watching the
horse jog to determine if it is lame, and flexing the joint to see if this elicits a painful response. If a
problem is suspected then we will usually recommend radiographs and possibly an ultrasound exam to
determine what is causing the inflammation in the joint.
If a problem is identified, treatment options may be surgical or medical depending on the
underlying cause of the inflammation. Arthroscopic surgery can be performed in order to remove OCD
lesions or chip fractures. Medical therapy usually consists of joint injections for arthritis, cartilage
damage or soft tissue damage. The joint may be injected with traditional treatments such as steroids
and hyaluronic acid; however, some of the newer regenerative medicine therapies such as IRAP or
platelet rich plasma (PRP) have been extremely beneficial in treating horses with these problems in
recent years and have become routine therapy at our hospital for these types of cases.