XL Vets equine factsheets

Angular limb deformities (ALDs), often referred to as bent legs, are a relatively common condition, most frequently affecting new born or relatively young, growing foals during the first few months of life. When viewed from in front or behind, the lower limbs either divert towards or away from midline. The knee (carpus), fetlock, and hock are the most frequently affected joints. ALDs usually develop due to a difference in the rate of bone growth across the growth plate adjacent to the affected joint. A growth plate is an area of cartilage within the bone of young animals that is responsible for the increase in bone length as the animal grows.