Equine Bone Fragility Syndrome

Several years ago, veterinarians in California began to notice a correlation between cases of pulmonary silicosis, an equine respiratory inflammation caused by inhaling dust from silica-rich soils, and an intermittent problem involving lameness, loss of bone strength, and postural changes in some horses. Equine bone fragility syndrome (EBFS) was the name given to the set of signs. A recent study of nine horses with EBFS and three horses without signs showed no bone loss in the control horses, while postmortem examination of the EBFS horses showed osteoporosis. The researchers concluded that horses with EBFS have a type of osteoporosis that is associated with inflammation of the lungs and lymph nodes caused by silicosis.