Charlotte Barton

1 INTRODUCTION Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of lameness in equine athletes, estimated to be the inciting cause of pain in up to 60% of lameness examinations.1 OA of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) is particularly prevalent in horses undergoing high speed activity involving repetitive stopping and turning.2 The diagnosis of PIPJ OA is primarily made via radiographic evaluation of the joint which may reveal periarticular bony proliferation, a reduction of joint space,...

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the correspondance from Souza and Fonteque encouraging discussion on the potential reasons for the link between prolonged antimicrobial duration and surgical site infection (SSI) identified in the manuscript “Incidence and risk factors of surgical site infection in ruminant species following internal fixation for orthopedic injury: 81 cases (2010-2023)” 1, 2.

1 INTRODUCTION Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a major complication of orthopedic procedures in both human and veterinary medicine.1-4 Infections that develop in either the incision or deep tissue at the surgical site up to 1 year following surgery are considered to be surgical site infections following the use of orthopedic implants.5-7 In the veterinary literature, the incidence of SSI associated with orthopedic implants in both equine and small animal species has been well...