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artery

A thick walled blood vessel that transports oxygenated blood away from the heart.

arthritis

Inflammation of one or several joints that leads to joint distension, heat in the region of the affected joint and is usually accompanied by pain.

arthrodesis

Surgical fixation of a joint with the aim of inducing complete ossification of the joint. This is performed in extremely painful or incapacitated joints, damaged by progressiveosteoarthritis or severe injury. The aim is to prevent all movement in the joint, leading to the alleviation of pain.

arthropathy

A collective term for any disease of the joints.

arthroscopy

The form of minimaly invasive (keyhole) surgery that allows visual examination and surgical intervention of the inside of a joint cavity using an endoscope and specialised instruments. In horses this procedure is usually carried out under general anaesthesia.

articular

Pertaining to or involving a joint.

artificial horn

Various synthetic materials which are similar to the substance of the hoof in terms of its physical properties and bind to the hoof due to their highly adhesive nature. These materials are used mainly to repair or cover defects of the hoof wall. The most frequently encountered products include thermosetting polymers such as epoxy resins and polyurethanes. The expression composites refers to the fact that these substances are all stored as 2 components which are then mixed to produce the final material; during solidification, heat is emitted (thermosetting).

asepsis

Free of microorgansims (germs). This state can be achieved through rigorous disinfection or through sterilisation.

astringent

A substance which causes the precipitation or aggregation of proteins. Astringents cause tissue contraction and reduce discharge and haemorrhage in wounds.

asymmetric

Opposite of symmetric. Having parts that do not correspond to each other in size or shape.

When referring to the hoof it means that the medial and lateral halves of the hoof are not equivalent in size or dimension.

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