Nine horses were admitted showing intermittent lameness due to upward fixation of the patella (UFP) and were injected with 2mL of counter-irritant subcutaneously, through the middle and medial patellar ligaments. From 12 to 48 hours after application, these animals showed increased volume and local temperature, painful response to palpation and reluctance to bear weight. Subsequently, the inflammatory signs were gradually decreasing until the seventh day, along with signs of UFP in seven of the nine animals. After remission of inflammatory signs, two of the nine horses did not respond to the treatment. In these two animals, one horse needed a repeated counter-irritant injection and the other received the medial patellar desmotomy. The use of counter-irritant was effective in the remission of clinical signs of UFP. In comparison with the surgical techniques described in literature used to correct this disease, the proposed treatment promoted early improvement of clinical signs, short term recovery and was easily performed.
conservative treatment; patellar attachment; patellar ligaments; revulsive
