Fractures in horses refer to the disruption in the continuity of a bone, often resulting from trauma, excessive stress, or pathological conditions. These injuries can vary in severity, from simple, non-displaced fractures to complex, comminuted fractures involving multiple bone fragments. Fractures can affect any bone in a horse's body, but they are most commonly observed in the limbs due to the high mechanical loads these structures endure. Diagnosis typically involves clinical examination and imaging techniques such as radiography or ultrasound to assess the extent and nature of the fracture. Treatment strategies depend on the type and location of the fracture and may include rest, immobilization, surgical intervention, or a combination of these approaches. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research and scholarly articles focusing on the etiology, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of fractures in horses, providing insights into current veterinary practices and advancements in equine orthopedic care.
Davern AJ, Peloso JG, Hawkins JF, Moore GE, Morehead JP.OBJECTIVE To evaluate 2- and 3-year-old and career race performance of Thoroughbred racehorse prospects with and without osteochondral fragmentation of the accessory carpal bone (ACB) identified on yearling presale radiographs. DESIGN Retrospective, matched cohort study. ANIMALS 47 nonlame Thoroughbreds with (exposed cohort) and 94 nonlame Thoroughbreds without (unexposed cohort) osteochondral fragmentation of ACB facture identified on yearling sales repository radiographs. PROCEDURES Repository radiographic interpretation reports for September yearling sales of a large Kentucky auction house ...
Elghoul N, Jalal Y, Bouya A, Zine A, Jaafar A.Almost 2% of all emergency admissions involve an animal bite. While horses bite humans very rarely, their bites are mostly associated with fatalities. Herein, we report the case of a 23-year old bitten by a domestic horse causing a crush injury to his fourth finger with fracture dislocation of the proximal interphalangeal joint. The patient benefited upon arrival at the emergency department from copious irrigation with saline serum, tetanus toxoid, postexposure rabies vaccination, and prophylactic antibiotic therapy. In the operating room, surgical exploration found the ulnar digital pedicle s...
Peloso JG, Cohen ND, Vogler JB, Marquis PA, Hilt L.OBJECTIVE To compare bony changes of the third metacarpal bone (MC3) of Thoroughbred racehorse cadavers with (cases) or without (controls) catastrophic condylar fracture by use of standing MRI. SAMPLE 140 forelimbs from 26 case horses (both forelimbs) and 88 control horses (single forelimb). PROCEDURES Bone marrow lesions (BMLs), identified as a decrease in T1-weighted (T1W) signal and increases in T2*-weighted (T2*W) and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) signals, and dense bone volume percentage (DBVP), identified as decreases in T1W, T2*W, and STIR signals, in the distopalmar aspect of MC3...
Public healthJanuary 25, 2019
Volume 168 67-75 doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.11.023
Meredith L, Thomson R, Ekman R, Kovaceva J, Ekbrand H, Bálint A.Horse riding is a popular activity but has also been found to lead to many injuries and even fatalities. No reduction in the numbers of those being admitted to hospital for equestrian-related injuries have been seen in Sweden in recent years. The aim of this work was to examine injuries, fatalities, and predictors of fatalities in equestrian-related activities and to investigate the cost of these injuries to the public health system. Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of hospital data. Methods: National Swedish hospital and mortality registers were retrospectively examined, inclusi...
Tanner J, Spriet M, Espinosa-Mur P, Estell KE, Aleman M.Temporohyoid osteoarthropathy is a well-recognized cause of equine neurologic disease. Temporal bone fractures associated with temporohyoid osteoarthropathy have been recognized with CT, however, little information is available regarding these fractures. The aims of this retrospective analytical study were to assess the prevalence of these fractures and to describe the specific configurations and associated imaging and clinical features. Fracture of the temporal bone was identified with CT in 16 of 39 included horses. All fractures were unilateral, minimally displaced and extended through the ...
Thomas KL, Carmalt JL, Burnett WD, Arjmand H, Johnston JD.OBJECTIVE To compare strain at the bone-pin and cast-pin interfaces among 3 transfixation pin-cast constructs applied to equine forelimbs. ANIMALS 15 forelimbs from 15 adult horses. PROCEDURES Limbs were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 constructs. Centrally threaded positive-profile pins were used for all constructs, and the most distal pin was placed just proximal to the epicondyles of the third metacarpal bone. Construct 1 consisted of two 6.3-mm-diameter pins spaced 4 cm apart at 30° to each other. Construct 2 was the same as construct 1 except the pins were placed 5 cm apart. Construct 3 cons...
Derham AM, Johnson JP, Kearney CM, O'Leary JM.This case report demonstrates the use of a 10-hole 2.7-mm locking compression plate (LCP) to repair a depressed, comminuted fracture of the zygomatic process of the frontal bone, in a foal. LCP fixation resulted in excellent cosmesis. The use of LCP fixation in this region has not been previously described.
Sakai RR, Goodrich LR, Katzman SA, Moorman VJ, Leise BS, Kawcak CE, Galuppo LD.OBJECTIVE To describe clinical use of a locking compression plate (LCP) for proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthrodesis in horses and compare outcomes for horses that underwent the procedure as treatment for fracture of the middle phalanx (P2) versus other causes. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 29 client-owned horses. PROCEDURES Medical records of 2 veterinary teaching hospitals from 2008 through 2014 were reviewed to identify horses that underwent PIPJ arthrodesis of 1 limb. Signalment, surgical, and outcome-related variables were recorded. Owners were contacted from 1 to 6 y...
Labens R, Khairuddin NH, Murray M, Jermyn K, Ahmad RS.To assess fracture gap reduction and stability of linear vs triangular 4.5-mm lag screw repair of experimental, uniarticular, and complete forelimb proximal phalanx (P1) fractures. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Fourteen equine cadaver limbs/horses. Methods: Simulated fractures were repaired with 2 lag screws under 4-Nm insertion torque (linear repair). Computed tomography (CT) imaging was performed with the leg unloaded and loaded to forces generated while walking. The fracture repair was revised to include 3 lag screws placed with the same insertion torque (triangular repair) prior to CT. T...
O'Connor S, Warrington G, Mb AM, Cullen S.Point-to-point racing may place jockeys at risk of serious injuries due to the high incidence of falls as previously reported. Despite many advances in health and safety strategies, the incidence of falls and injuries in point-to-point racing has not been reported since 2006. Objective: To provide a longitudinal analysis of the fall and injury incidence in point-to-point horse racing jockeys in Ireland from 2007 to 2015 and compare these findings with the previous literature. Methods: Descriptive epidemiologic study. Methods: All injuries that occurred due to a fall at every official point-to-...
Jeon S, Cho K, Ok G, Lee S, Park H.The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of weight loss practices on nutritional status, bone health, and injury history among Korean professional jockeys. Methods: Forty-three male jockeys completed a questionnaire to assess their weight loss practices. Of these, 10 jockeys were selected for in-depth assessment of their nutritional status, bone health, and injury history. Results: The questionnaires revealed that 81.4% of jockeys lost weight every week mainly by dieting and/or exercising. None of the jockeys consumed enough food during the weight loss period. Two jockeys were d...
Lipreri G, Bladon BM, Giorio ME, Singer ER.To compare the outcome following conservative vs surgical management of sports horses with a diagnosis of subchondral bone trauma of the proximal aspect of the proximal phalanx (PP) by low-field MRI. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Twenty-one mature sports horses with evidence of high water signal within the proximal sagittal groove of the PP according to low-field MRI of the fetlock, with no definitive radiographic evidence of fracture. Methods: Medical records (2010-2017) of horses admitted to 2 referral hospitals were reviewed. Historical, clinical, radiographic, and MRI findin...
Ramzan PHL.Some sagittal plane fractures of the equine third carpal bone are difficult to detect with conventional radiographic projections. Objective: To describe a novel radiographic projection for the detection of sagittal plane slab fractures of the equine third carpal bone. Methods: Retrospective study of radiological records. Methods: From a first opinion Thoroughbred racehorse caseload, cases were included for analysis if sagittal fracture of the third carpal bone was evident on a dorsoproximal lateral-palmarodistal medial oblique (DPrL-PDiMO) projection of the distal row of carpal bones and not v...
Rannamäe E, Andrianov V, Järv E, Semjonov A, Haak A, Kreem J.The remains of a horse's hind foot - a third metatarsal bone and three phalanges - were found in a presumed waste pit of a prosperous medieval household in Viljandi, Estonia, dated from the second half of the 13th to the beginning of the 15th century. The metatarsal bone had been broken during the horse's lifetime and showed evidence of partial healing. Using archaeological, zooarchaeological, morphological, microscopic, densitometric and radiographic analyses, we investigated the bones and the healing process in order to understand animal treatment in a medieval urban context. Our results sho...
Curtiss AL, Goodrich LR, Rossignol F, Richardson DW.To report the outcome of horses after pancarpal or partial carpal arthrodesis with 3 locking compression plates (LCP). Methods: Case series. Methods: Six horses ranging in age from 8 months to 16 years and weighing 227-580 kg with severe carpal pathology including acute fractures, chronic osteoarthritis, and chronic angular limb deformity. Methods: Pancarpal or partial carpal arthrodesis was performed with 3 LCP. Autologous cancellous bone grafts were used in 5 of 6 cases to facilitate joint arthrodesis. Results: External coaptation was maintained for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Radiographic...
Rizk A, Hamed M.Fractures of the rostral mandible in horses are the most common type of jaw fractures. The present study was performed for stabilization of rostral mandibular fracture with cerclage wire. In a retrospective case series, six client-owned horses with unilateral mandibular fractures were admitted to our clinic and suffered from a major gingival wound at rostral part of mandible. Rostral mandibular fracture was diagnosed through clinical examination and radiography. Fractured region was repaired by cerclage wire under the effect of general anesthesia and wires were maintained for 6-12 weeks. The r...
Rosanowski SM, Chang YM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.A key focus of the racing industry is to minimise the number of race-day distal limb fractures although no studies have identified risk factors for both fatal and non-fatal distal limb fractures. Objective: To determine risk factors for race-day distal limb fractures experienced by Thoroughbred racehorses participating in flat racing in Great Britain (GB). Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Information was collected from all flat racing starts occurring on GB racecourses between 2000 and 2013, including horse, race, course, trainer and jockey data for each horse start and race-day injury ...
Cresswell EN, McDonough SP, Palmer SE, Hernandez CJ, Reesink HL.Fracture of the proximal sesamoid bones continues to be the most common fatal musculoskeletal injury in US racehorses. Identifying factors that influence fracture risk could lead to screening techniques to reduce catastrophic injury rates and improve animal welfare. Objective: To identify morphological differences between proximal sesamoid bones of the contralateral limb of fracture and control horses and assess the feasibility of computed tomography (CT) to detect traits associated with proximal sesamoid bone fracture. We hypothesised that horses with proximal sesamoid bone fracture would hav...
Sun TC, Riggs CM, Cogger N, Wright J, Al-Alawneh JI.Reports of fractures in racehorses have predominantly focused on catastrophic injuries, and there are limited data identifying the location and incidence of fractures that did not result in a fatal outcome. Objective: To describe the nature and the incidence of noncatastrophic and catastrophic fractures in Thoroughbreds racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) over seven racing seasons. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Data of fractures sustained in horses while racing and of race characteristics were extracted from the HKJC Veterinary Management Information System (VMIS) and Ra...
Baird A, Lindsay T, Everett A, Iyemere V, Paterson YZ, McClellan A, Henson FMD, Guest DJ.Bone fractures occur in horses following traumatic and non-traumatic (bone overloading) events. They can be difficult to treat due to the need for the horse to bear weight on all legs during the healing period. Regenerative medicine to improve fracture union and recovery could significantly improve horse welfare. Equine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have previously been derived. Here we show that equine iPSCs cultured for 21 days in osteogenic induction media on an OsteoAssay surface upregulate the expression of osteoblast associated genes and proteins, including , , , , and We al...
Smith LCR, Wylie CE, Palmer L, Ramzan PHL.There is a need for investigation of associations between intrasynovial medication and fracture risk in racehorses. Objective: To document the proportion and type of fracture occurring following intrasynovial medication. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: Review of clinical records from all Thoroughbred flat racehorses receiving intrasynovial medication under the care of a first-opinion veterinary practice between 2006 and 2011. Fractures pre- and post-medication were categorised by location, type, and severity; analysis of fractures sustained within 56-days of medication was ...
Lorenzo FDR.Non-unions at forearms are usually challenging and difficult to treat. If additionally, an infection is present, reconstructive surgery should be planned only after full debridement, antibiotic treatment, and confirmation, based on clinical observation and laboratory tests that the infection has subsided. Bone grafting may be required for reconstruction. The use of autogenous bone calls for a second surgical site with an increased risk of morbidity. Using bone substitutes may reduce the need for autogenous bone. Stimulating factors, such as bone marrow concentrate (BMC) and demineralized bone ...
Donati B, Fürst AE, Hässig M, Jackson MA.Fractures occur commonly in equids and often are associated with complications and a poor outcome. There are no reports on the epidemiology of fractures in a heterogeneous equine population. Objective: To study the epidemiology of fractures in a heterogeneous equine population, focusing on differences between fractures resulting from a kick and fractures, resulting from other causes and investigating predictors for recovery. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Data of all equids presented to the Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich between 1990 and 2014 and diagn...
Mageed M, Steinberg T, Drumm N, Stubbs N, Wegert J, Koene M.Fractures involving the proximal one-third of the splint bone are relatively rare and are challenging to treat. A variety of management techniques have been reported in the literature. The aim of this retrospective case series was to describe the clinical presentation and evaluate the efficacy of bioabsorbable polylactic acid screws in internal fixation of proximal fractures of the 2nd and 4th metacarpal and metatarsal bones in horses. Methods: The medical records, diagnostic images and outcome of all horses diagnosed with a proximal fracture of the splint bones and treated with partial resect...
O'Connor S, Hitchens PL, Fortington LV.The most recent report on hospital-treated horse-riding injuries in Victoria was published 20 years ago. Since then, injury countermeasures and new technology have aimed to make horse riding safer for participants. This study provides an update of horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment in Victoria and examines changes in injury patterns compared with the earlier study. Methods: Horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment (hospital admission (HA) or emergency department (ED) presentations) were extracted from routinely collected data from public and private hospitals ...
Hopper N, Singer E, Henson F.The exact aetiology and pathogenesis of microdamage-induced long bone fractures remain unknown. These fractures are likely to be the result of inadequate bone remodelling in response to damage. This study aims to identify an association of osteocyte apoptosis, the presence of osteocytic osteolysis, and any alterations in sclerostin expression with a fracture of the third metacarpal (Mc-III) bone of Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: A total of 30 Mc-III bones were obtained; ten bones were fractured during racing, ten were from the contralateral limb, and ten were from control horses. Each Mc-II...
Hitchens PL, Pivonka P, Malekipour F, Whitton RC.In Thoroughbred racehorses, fractures of the distal limb are commonly catastrophic. Most of these fractures occur due to the accumulation of fatigue damage from repetitive loading, as evidenced by microdamage at the predilection sites for fracture. Adaptation of the bone in response to training loads is important for fatigue resistance. In order to better understand the mechanism of subchondral bone adaptation to its loading environment, we utilised a square root function defining the relationship between bone volume fraction [Formula: see text] and specific surface [Formula: see text] of the ...
Mizobe F, Wakuno A, Okada J, Otsuka T, Ishikawa Y, Kurimoto S.A total of 20 racehorses with longitudinal fractures underwent internal fixation surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia combined with infusion of medetomidine (3 µg/kg/hr) alone (10 horses, group M) or medetomidine and fentanyl (7 µg/kg/hr) (10 horses, group FM). In group FM, the end-tidal sevoflurane concentration during surgery was maintained significantly lower than in group M (2.8-2.9% for group M vs. 2.2-2.6% for group FM, P<0.01). The mean arterial blood pressure was maintained over 70 mmHg using dobutamine infusion (group M, 0.36-0.54 µg/kg/min; group FM, 0.27-0.65 µg/kg/min), and ...
Kuemmerle JM, Auer JA, Rademacher N, Lischer CJ, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Fürst AE.To describe short incomplete sagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx (type Ia P1 fractures) in horses not used for racing and report outcome. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n=10) with type Ia P1 fractures. Methods: Retrieved data of horses with type Ia P1 fractures were signalment, history and results of orthopedic examination. Radiographs were re-evaluated for position and length of the fracture line, presence of osteoarthritis or subchondral cystic lesions (SCL), periosteal new bone formation and subchondral sclerosis. Conservative treatment (n=4) included box confinement ...
Bellezzo F, Hunt RJ, Provost R, Bain FT, Kirker-Head C.Fractured ribs are encountered quite frequently in newborn Thoroughbred foals, often with fatal outcome. Surgical repair of fractures therefore requires consideration as a means of reducing mortality. Objective: To evaluate the repair of rib fractures using internal fixation techniques in foals at 2 different equine hospitals following similar diagnostics and case selection. Methods: The records of 14 foals that underwent internal fixation of fracture ribs were reviewed. Subject details, clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical technique, post operative care and complications were recorded. ...
Reardon RJ, Boden L, Stirk AJ, Parkin TD.Accurate diagnosis of racing injuries can be difficult. The objectives of this study were to describe the postmortem (PM) defined distribution of fatal distal limb fractures (DLF) affecting Thoroughbreds racing in Great Britain between February 1999 and August 2005 and then assess the accuracy of veterinary racecourse diagnoses and examine whether these improved following introduction of a computerised recording system. PM examinations were performed on limbs distal to radius or tibia from all cases of fatal DLF occurring on British racecourses during the study period. Results of these examina...
Anthenill LA, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Hill AE, Lee CM, Anderson ML, Barr BC, Read DH, Johnson BJ, Woods LW, Daft BM, Kinde H, Moore JD, Farman CA....To determine the distribution for limbs and bones in horses with fractures of the proximal sesamoid bones and relationships with findings on palmarodorsal radiographic images. Methods: Proximal sesamoid bones obtained from both forelimbs of cadavers of 328 racing Thoroughbreds. Methods: Osteophytes; large vascular channels; and fracture location, orientation, configuration, and margin distinctness were categorized by use of high-detail contact palmarodorsal radiographs. Distributions of findings were determined. Relationships between radiographic findings and fracture characteristics were exam...
Hassel DM.Thoracic trauma represents an important cause of morbidity in mortality after injury in human beings and animals. After any form of suspected chest wall trauma, initial emergency management should include assurance of a patent airway and adequate ventilation, along with treatment for shock if present. As with any open wound, tetanus prophylaxis should be instituted. Types of trauma to the thoracic region of the horse include pectoral and axillary lacerations, penetrating chest wounds, flail chest, fractures of the ribs, blunt thoracic trauma, and several potential sequelae that include pneumot...
Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Hirsh DC.Positive cultures were obtained from 60 equine orthopedic cases during a 12 year period (1974-1985). These cases consisted of 34 long or cuboidal bone fractures, 13 arthrotomy/arthroscopy procedures for removal or internal fixation of a fracture, 7 proximal splint bone fractures, and 6 facial or mandibular fractures. Excluding the 13 arthrotomies, only 10 (21%) of the 47 were open fractures. Multiple organisms were isolated from 36 cases (20 long or cuboidal bone fractures, 7 splint bone fractures, 5 mandibular fractures, and 4 intra-articular fractures). Of the 142 isolates, 35 (24%) were mem...
Smith MR, Wright IM.Fractures of the proximal phalanx are generally considered to result from monotonic supraphysiological loads, but radiological observations from clinical cases suggest there may be a stress-related aetiology. Objective: To determine whether there are radiologically identifiable prodromal changes in Thoroughbred racehorses with confirmed parasagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Case records and radiographs of Thoroughbred racehorses with parasagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx were analysed. Thickness of the subchondral bone p...
Knox PM, Watkins JP.A method for proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP joint) arthrodesis that provides a stable fixation and minimal duration of cast support is evaluated retrospectively. Objective: Evaluate the clinical use of a combined plate-screw method for PIP joint arthrodesis in a large number of horses. Methods: The records of 53 horses undergoing PIP joint arthrodesis were reviewed. Arthrodesis was performed with a dorsally placed 3-, 4- or 5-hole narrow dynamic compression plate (DCP) with 2 transarticular cortex screws placed in lag fashion either side of the plate. Subject details, clinical presentatio...
Tozaki T, Kusano K, Ishikawa Y, Kushiro A, Nomura M, Kikuchi M, Kakoi H, Hirota K, Miyake T, Hill EW, Nagata S.Fractures are medical conditions that compromise the athletic potential of horses and/or the safety of jockeys. Therefore, the reduction of fracture risk is an important horse and human welfare issue. The present study used molecular genetic approaches to determine the effect of genetic risk for fracture at four candidate SNPs spanning the myostatin (MSTN) gene on horse chromosome 18. Among the 3706 Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses, 1089 (29.4%) had experienced fractures in their athletic life, indicating the common occurrence of this injury in Thoroughbreds. In the case/control association st...
Sarrafian TL, Case JT, Kinde H, Daft BM, Read DH, Moore JD, Uzal FA, Stover SM.To determine major causes of death and the anatomic location of musculoskeletal injuries in Quarter Horse racehorses in California. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 314 Quarter Horse racehorses with musculoskeletal injuries that were necropsied through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program from 1990 to 2007. Methods: Postmortem pathology reports were retrospectively reviewed. Musculoskeletal injuries were categorized by anatomic region and described. The number of Quarter Horse starts and starters for the same period of time were obtained from a commercial database f...
Martin RB, Gibson VA, Stover SM, Gibeling JC, Griffin LV.Fatigue or stress fractures are an important clinical problem in humans as well as racehorses. An important question in this context is, when a bone experiences fatigue damage during extreme use, how much is it weakened compared to its original state? Since there are very limited data on this question and stress fractures are common in racehorses, we sought to determine the effect of fatigue loading on the monotonic strength of equine cortical bone. Beams were machined from the dorsal, medial and lateral cortices of the third metacarpal bones of six thoroughbred racehorses. Beams from left and...
Taylor L, Dixon PM.There is limited information on the prevalence of idiopathic cheek teeth (CT) fractures in the general equine population and on which CT are most commonly affected. Objective: To obtain information on the prevalence of fracture patterns and clinical details of idiopathic CT fractures. Methods: Details of cases with idiopathic CT fractures encountered were obtained via a questionnaire sent to suitably experienced veterinary practitioners and equine dental technicians (EDTs). Results: Details of 147 horses that suffered a total of 182 idiopathic CT fractures; and median 0.4% (range 0.07-5.9%) of...
Wang D, Shi L, Griffith JF, Qin L, Yew DT, Riggs CM.Surface-based morphometry method is advantageous in its objectivity and increased capability in detecting focal morphological changes, but has not been applied in bone-related research. Orthopedics research in human has confirmed the association of the bone geometry in proximal femur and its fracture. In this study, surface-based morphometry is used to test the hypothesis that there is relationship between bone geometry and fracture risk of the proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) in forelimbs of Thoroughbred racehorses. The PSB surfaces were extracted from CT images of nonfractured forelegs (i.e., ri...
Jeon S, Cho K, Ok G, Lee S, Park H.The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of weight loss practices on nutritional status, bone health, and injury history among Korean professional jockeys. Methods: Forty-three male jockeys completed a questionnaire to assess their weight loss practices. Of these, 10 jockeys were selected for in-depth assessment of their nutritional status, bone health, and injury history. Results: The questionnaires revealed that 81.4% of jockeys lost weight every week mainly by dieting and/or exercising. None of the jockeys consumed enough food during the weight loss period. Two jockeys were d...
Arnold CE, Schaer TP, Baird DL, Martin BB.Fractures of the tibial tuberosity (FTT) are caused by direct trauma, and are the second most commonly reported injury in event horses with stifle trauma. Conservative management of horses with FTT has been advocated, but results and prognosis for this method of therapy are unknown. Objective: To report and review the findings of a retrospective study of 17 horses admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital from 1986-2001 with nonarticular FTT that received conservative management. Methods: Subject details, aetiology of the accident, limb affected, degree of lameness at time of admission, size ...
Singer E, Garcia T, Stover S.Strain parameters at injury prone sites of the equine third metacarpal (MC3) and proximal phalangeal (P1) bones were investigated with the aim of improving understanding of injury pathogenesis. We hypothesized that dorsal principal and shear strain patterns, magnitudes and directions would differ from proximal-to-distal; and would be similar from medial-to-lateral across each bone. Unilateral limbs from nine equine cadavers were instrumented with rosette strain gauges during limb loading to 10,500Â N. Gauges were attached at seven dorsal sites: middle MC3, distal MC3 (medial, middle, lateral) ...
Rose PL, Seeherman H, O'Callaghan M.Comminuted fractures of the middle phalanx have been well described in the horse. Choice of treatment, surgical planning and prognosis have traditionally been based upon evaluation of radiographs. However, the complex nature of comminuted fractures makes radiographic interpretation difficult. Computed tomography (CT) allows the production of cross-sectional images with spatial separation of structures which are superimposed on survey radiographs. This allows accurate assessment of the number and direction of fracture lines within the bone. In this paper we report the use of CT in the evaluatio...
Antoun JS, Steenberg LJ, Lee KH.Facial injuries caused by horses are relatively common among riding enthusiasts, but little is known about the nature of maxillofacial fractures sustained by those not mounted. We collected data on patients' characteristics, fractures sites, mechanisms of injury, and treatment of these fractures from the departmental records of the oral and maxillofacial unit at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand between 1996 and 2008. Of 49 patients with equine-related facial fractures, 35 (mean (SD) age 35.8 (16.7) years) had sustained their injuries while unmounted (71%). Most of the fractures occurred in w...
Levine DG, Aitken MR.Physeal fractures are common musculoskeletal injuries in foals and should be included as a differential diagnosis for the lame or nonweightbearing foal. Careful evaluation of the patient, including precise radiographic assessment, is paramount in determining the options for treatment. Prognosis mostly depends on the patient's age, weight, and fracture location and configuration.
Baker JR, Ellis CE.The causes of death recorded in 480 consecutive post mortem examinations of horses performed at the department of pathology, Veterinary Field Station, University of Liverpool, between February 1958 and February 1980, are reported. The alimentary, locomotor and nervous systems were those most frequently diseased. The most common specific entities were those associated with grass sickness, fractures and endoparasitism.
O'Connor S, Hitchens PL, Fortington LV.The most recent report on hospital-treated horse-riding injuries in Victoria was published 20 years ago. Since then, injury countermeasures and new technology have aimed to make horse riding safer for participants. This study provides an update of horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment in Victoria and examines changes in injury patterns compared with the earlier study. Methods: Horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment (hospital admission (HA) or emergency department (ED) presentations) were extracted from routinely collected data from public and private hospitals ...
Jeffcott LB, Kold SE.The clinical and radiological characteristics of stifle lameness in 86 horses are described. The majority of these cases had been lame for some weeks before referral. The most frequent diagnoses made were osteochondrosis dissecans (13 per cent) and subchondral bone cyst (38 per cent). Both of these conditions were seen principally in Thoroughbreds at or before the onset of training. The other bone lesions encountered were osteoarthritis (3 per cent), fractures (4 per cent) and "epiphysitis" (1 per cent). The commonest soft tissue condition was an atypical or partial upward fixation of the pate...
Zekas LJ, Bramlage LR, Embertson RM, Hance SR.The objectives of this study were to correlate condylar fracture characteristics and type of treatment with subsequent capacity for athletic ability, and to determine the characteristics of healing that affect prognosis after fracture fixation. Medical records, post operative radiographic studies and race records were examined for 135 horses sustaining 145 fractures. Sixty-five percent of horses overall started in a race post injury (SPI) in a mean time of 9.7 months with a mean of 13.7 races post injury. Having raced pre-injury did not confer an advantage to starting post injury, though nonst...
Johansson HE, Rejnö S.Light and electron microscopic examination was made on equine synovial membrane from 23 healthy joints, nine joints with synovitis caused by intraarticular fracture and 10 joints with synovitis caused by osteochondrosis dissecans. Histologically as well as ultrastructurally the equine synovial membrane from healthy joints was of principally the same character as described in other species. Three types of synovial membrane — areolar, fibrous and adipose — and two types of lining cell were distinguished histologically. Ultrastructurally three types of lining cells were distinguished: A and Î...
Firth EC, Doube M, Boyde A.To show that changes are present at the site of origin of metacarpal condylar fracture in young Thoroughbred horses before they enter race training. Methods: Bone slices, 2 mm thick, in three mediolateral planes through the centre of rotation of the metacarpo-phalangeal joint (MCPJ) of both distal third metacarpal bones (Mc3) of 12 Thoroughbred horses aged 17 months, were imaged using point-projection digital X-ray imaging (muXR). Results: In some horses, linear or ovoid radiolucency was found in articular calcified cartilage (ACC) and subchondral bone of the palmaro-distal aspect of the sagit...
Luedke LK, Ilevbare P, Noordwijk KJ, Palomino PM, McDonough SP, Palmer SE, Basran PS, Donnelly E, Reesink HL.To determine whether proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) microdamage and fracture toughness differ between Thoroughbred racehorses sustaining PSB fracture and controls. Methods: Cadaveric case-control. Methods: Twenty-four Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 12 PSB fracture, n = 12 control). Methods: Proximal sesamoid bones were dissected, and gross pathological changes and morphological measurements were documented. High-speed exercise history data were evaluated. Microdamage was assessed in fracture, fracture-contralateral limb (FXCL) and control PSBs using whole bone lead uranyl acetate (LUA) stainin...
Verheyen KL, Price JS, Wood JL.This study's aim was to determine the effects of dam age and parity on the rate of fracture in offspring in Thoroughbred racehorses in training for flat racing. It was hypothesised that first foals and those from older mares would have a higher fracture rate than subsequent foals and those from younger mares. A two-year observational cohort study collected data from eight trainers on 335 horses that were monitored since the start of their training as yearlings. Multivariable Poisson regression analyses showed that first foals had a significantly lower fracture rate than subsequent ones (RR=0.3...
Mizobe F, Nomura M, Ueno T, Yamada K.This study focused on 8 Thoroughbred racehorses showing bone marrow oedema-type signal in the proximal sagittal groove of the proximal phalanx, with the aim of understanding its clinical significance. Standing magnetic resonance imaging played an important role in assessing osseous abnormalities that were not radiographically identifiable. Further, a histopathological result from one of the cases showed there was oedema surrounding adipose tissues with increase in density of trabecular scaffolding. This may indicate presence of osseous injury within the area of decreased elasticity due to subc...
