The surgical difficulties and the postoperative complications of two techniques for equine digital neurectomy, the guillotine (TG) and the stripping (TS), were evaluated. Four mares under halothane anesthesia were submitted to the TS in the digital nerves of a thoracic and a pelvic limbs, and TG in the contralateral limbs. The mean surgical times for TG and TS were similar. The mean transected nerve length was three times greater in TS (P<0.001). In both techniques, total lost of sensibility was observed in all heel bulbs during the first four months. After 14 months, sensibility returned to 37% limbs in treated by TG, and 18.8% in those treated by TS (P=0.06). Discreet painful sensation was identified by the response of digital palpation of the neuroma in a greater number of nerve stumps where TS was performed, 53.6% versus 6.4% of those operated by TG (P=0.003). No major complications were observed during or after surgery and both techniques were considered satisfactory. TG was considered with less potential to produce painful neuromas and reinnervation.
horse; neurectomy; pain; nerve; reinnervation
