SYNOVIAL sepsis is when there is infection or contamination within a structure that contains synovial (joint) fluid.
The structures that can be involved include (see box, right):
● Joints
● Tendon sheaths – sleeves of fluid through which tendons run
● Bursa – a sac of fluid that contains synovial fluid, normally over a bony prominence.
It is recognised as a frequent cause of injury, disease and, sadly, death in horses.
HOW DOES IT OCCUR?
IN the adult horse, synovial sepsis usually results from a direct penetration of the synovial structure following a wound. Sometimes no wound is clearly visible, but the infection may have resulted from a penetration, such as in the case of blackthorn
