Trauma in horses encompasses physical injuries resulting from accidents, falls, or other external forces. These injuries can range from minor cuts and bruises to severe fractures and internal damage. Trauma can affect various systems within the horse, including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems. The response to trauma involves complex physiological processes, including inflammation and tissue repair. Veterinary assessment and management of equine trauma often require a multidisciplinary approach to address immediate care and long-term recovery. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, effects, and treatment strategies for trauma in horses, providing insights into diagnostic techniques, therapeutic interventions, and rehabilitation practices.
Beech J.An 18-month-old male Quarter Horse was referred for evaluation of a tic that had started after injury to the right forelimb 4 weeks earlier. The right forelimb appeared paretic and had constant regular twitches of variable intensity that were usually sufficiently forceful to move the trunk, neck, and head. The horse frequently threw the limb forward. The twitch persisted during sleep but disappeared during general anesthesia and following sedation with xylazine. It was unaffected by acetylpromazine, diphenylhydantoin, diazepam, carbamazepine, trimethadione, procainamide, quinidine, propranolol...
McIlwraith CW.Current concepts of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of equine degenerative joint disease are presented on the basis of recently acquired experimental and clinical knowledge. A number of concepts of pathogenesis need modification and the rationale of some of the newer treatments requires definition. Synovitis and other soft tissue changes are important components of the pathogenesis in addition to direct trauma to the articular cartilage. Loss of glycosaminoglycans constitutes an important biochemical "lesion" in the articular cartilage, making it weak and susceptible to trauma. Recognit...
King JM, Roth L, Haschek WM.Focal myocardial necrosis secondary to neural lesions was diagnosed in 2 dogs and 1 horse. In each case, the neural lesions were traumatic in origin. Spinal cord injury was evident in 1 dog; brain damage was evident in the other dog and presumably in the horse. Retrospective analysis of necropsy material showed that many species were affected, without apparent age or sex predisposition. Central nervous system injury resulting from trauma, infection or space-occupying lesions was associated with acute myocardial necrosis in all cases. The myocardial necrosis was rarely fatal; however, it did ca...
Jakovljevic S, Gibbs C, Yeats JJ.The clinical features, radiographic findings, management and outcome in 13 cases of traumatic fracture of the hock joint are reported. The principal fracture sites were the distal tibial malleoli (5 cases), the fibular tarsal bone (4 cases), the tibial tarsal bone (3 cases) and the proximal end of metatarsal IV (one case). An additional small chip fracture of the central tarsal was noted in 2 cases. Three horses were destroyed immediately after diagnosis, 2 failed to recover following surgical intervention and one remained lame and was destroyed after 3 months' rest. Seven horses recovered com...
Verschooten F, De Moor A.Twenty-nine horses were examined over a period of 8 years and found to have cystic lesions in the stifle (14 cases) or pedal bone (15 cases). The lesions are described and illustrated with radiographs. In the stifle 12 lesions were found on the femoral condyles (11 medially and one laterally) and 10 were typical subchondral cysts. One lesion was observed in the tibia and 3 in the patella. Bone cysts wee found unilaterally in the pedal bone (14 in the forelimbs and one in the hindlimb). All but 2 of the horses with lesions in the stifle or pedal bone were lame. The only treatment was rest. For ...
Taylor TS, Vaughan JT.A study was conducted in an effort to explain why digital necrosis sometimes follows neurectomy in the horse. Six horses were subjected to unilateral section of the medial and lateral palmar nerves. Arteriography was done on each digit prior to surgery. Terminally, arteriography was repeated. Sections of bone, nerve, artery, skin, coronary band, and deep flexor tendon were examined histologically. Changes in arterial pattern and bone quality were noted. During the study, 2 of the horses had clinical signs of digital necrosis. The composite findings suggested trauma or infection, or both, of th...
Stick JA, Boles C.Three foals with chronic cough, bilateral nasal discharge, and pneumonia were found to have a subepiglottic cyst as the inciting cause. Consistent findings were dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia, in addition to the abnormal respiratory noise usually found in the adult horse with a subepiglottic cyst. Histologic examination of the cysts suggested their origin was traumatic rather than embryonic.
Wheat JD, Pascoe JR.Problems involving the management of acute traumatic rupture of the equine suspensory apparatus include loss of blood flow to the foot, proper immobilization, and pressure sores from casts. A technique utilizing a board splinting device attached to the affected limb at the toe and subsequent corrective shoe support provides immobilization, prevents dropping of the fetlock, can be applied to the standing animal, and allows frequent changing of the bandages, if necessary.
Reich L.Horses' kicks can produce two types of head and neck injuries: injuries of the mid-face and injuries of the larynx. Typical cases as seen by the author are presented. The treatment of mid-face injuries is performed according to principles of plastic surgical repair. After frontal-nasal injuries, a revision of the nasal septum must be done. Involvement of the larynx requires external layer repair of mucosa and cartilage.
Dik KJ.The radiological interpretation of periosteal new bone formation in the horse induced by trauma is described and illustrated by some casereports. The better the margins of the new bone can be defined the lesser the activity. The greater the density of the new bone, the longer the duration of time since injury.
Slone DE, Bergfeld WA, Walker TL.A filly with ataxia and splinting and crepitation in the neck was found to have atlantoaxial subluxation. Radiographic diagnosis was based on the same criteria as those used in other species, ie, increased distance between the atlas and spine of the axis and increased distance between the dens and floor of the atlas. Extensive hemilaminectomy was performed to decompress the spinal cord. Stabilization was not attempted. Immediate postoperative response was encouraging, but the untimely death of the filly prevented further evaluation of the procedure.
Edwards GB, Vaughan LC.Six horses were found to have infective arthritis of one elbow joint. The history, and presence of a small wound on the lateral aspect of the elbow suggested the condition was trauma induced. Two horses recovered following joint lavage under general anaesthesia and antibiotic therapy. The joint changes found post mortem in the others were characteristic of an infective arthritis.
Ahlengard S, Tufvesson G, Pettersson H, Andersson T.A total of 134 horses of various breeds were treated for aseptic arthritis of traumatic origin using Orgotein (Palosein). The drug was injected into 192 affected joints of these animals. Recovery rates of 94 per cent were recorded in cases which had shown lameness for less than 2 months before treatment commenced and 49 per cent in those lame for longer than 2 months.
Edwards GB.Results of the clinical and radiographic examination of 8 lame horses with tarsal sheath distension are described. In chronic cases pathological exostoses were identified radiographically in the sustentaculum tali and were demonstrated at post mortem in 4 of the horses which were destroyed. The prognosis and the feasibility of treatment are discussed in the light of these changes and the associated damage found at post mortem in the deep flexor tendon and its sheath. Trauma to the hock was known to have occurred in half the cases and was suspected in the others.
Firth EC.The signs observed in 6 cases of peripheral vestibular disease included incoordination, head tilt and nystagmus. The intensity of the signs varied greatly with duration of the disease, and in 3 cases facial paralysis was also present. Tympanosclerosis was demonstrable in all cases subject to radiology. Trauma was the causative factor in most cases. The causes of, and relationships between, vestibular dysfunction and concomitant facial paralysis are discussed. The exact etiology of the tympanosclerosis is unknown.
Pearson H, Pinsent PJ, Polley LR, Waterman A.Four cases of fatal diaphragmatic rupture in the horse are described. In 2 cases there was no history of injury but the other 2 animals had sustained recent thoracic trauma. Three of the horses had signs of colic and bowel obstruction complicated, in 2 cases, by respiratory embarrassment; the fourth died rapidly, presumably of shock. Previously published cases are reviewed and the causes, clinical effects, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder are discussed.
Qin SH, Sun L, Zheng XJ.To explore the Ilizarov mini-invasive distraction technique for the treatment of severer ankle and foot deformities secondary to ischemic contracture of the leg. Methods: Based on the tension-stress low of Ilizarov, a serial of adjustable three dimensions external distractive instrument was developed in our department. From April 2002 to March 2004, 8 patients with ankle and foot deformities secondary to ischemic contracture of the leg induced by trauma and fracture were treated with the distractive instrument. Of them, 4 patient were male and 4 female, aged from 13 to 31 years with an average...
Wang TJ, Ward T, Nguyen HT, Hurwitz EL.The purpose of this study was to describe the types of equestrian-related musculoskeletal injuries and their management. Unassigned: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 19 patients who presented with injuries from equestrian activities at a chiropractic practice from December 2000 to December 2020. Deidentified data were extracted from the charts and summarized. Unassigned: Of the 19 patients, 42.3% presented with acute trauma, 38.5% had overuse injuries, and 19.2% had chronic injuries as a result of previous trauma. We found that 90% of overuse injuries and 18.2% of acute injuries led t...
van Schaik AM, van der Pol BA, van der Linde-Sipman JS.A healthy, 10-day-old Welsh A pony colt was totally blind 1 day after arrival at a studfarm. Both eyes appeared normal on external inspection. The young animal had been very distressed during the 40-km journey to the studfarm. Intravenous corticosteroids were administered for 2 days, but did not result in any observable improvement. The animal was euthanized at the owner's request. Both eyes with the optic nerves were removed for histological examination. Both optic nerves showed Wallerian degeneration, a well-known response of peripheral nerves to trauma. The foal, which was not tethered duri...
Bixby-Hammett D, Brooks WH.The most common location of horse-related injuries is the upper extremity (24% to 61%) with injuries to the lower extremity second in frequency (36% to 40%). The head and face sustain 20% of horse-related injuries. The most common type of injury is a soft tissue injury (92% to 1%), followed by a fracture (57% to 3%). Concussion is the third most common type of injury (63% to 2%). The most frequent cause of hospitalisation is concussion (38% to 4%) with fracture second. The most common injury which leaves residual impairment is injury to the central nervous system. The age at which most injury ...
Flores MM, Del Piero F, Habecker PL, Langohr IM.Ocular diseases are an important category in equine medicine; however, most articles regarding histologic ocular lesions in horses are exclusive to a specific condition and do not provide a complete review of clinically significant ocular disease frequency in a diagnostic laboratory. We reviewed sections of equine eyes from 140 cases (98 enucleations [biopsies] and 42 autopsies) with clinically relevant ocular alterations at 2 diagnostic centers in the United States. The most common primary conditions were non-traumatic keratitis (36), equine recurrent uveitis (ERU; 31), traumatic injuries (22...
Gardner AK, Santschi EM, Mudge MC, Belknap JK, Metzler AG.To describe the repair of unstable facial fractures by using Foley catheter balloons as intrasinus bolsters. Methods: Case report ANIMALS: Two weanling foals with unilateral fractures of the sinus and orbit secondary to kick injuries. Preoperative imaging that included positive contrast dacrocystorhinography and computed tomography confirmed severe comminution of facial fractures and nasolacrimal duct disruption in both foals. Methods: Small bone fragments were surgically removed, and large fragments were retained even when denuded of periosteum. Repair procedures included nasolacrimal canalic...
Khaled MM, Ibrahium AM, Abdelgalil AI, El-Saied MA, El-Bably SH.Peripheral nerve damage mainly resulted from traumatic or infectious causes; the main signs of a damaged nerve are the loss of sensory and/or motor functions. The injured nerve has limited regenerative capacity and is recovered by the body itself, the recovery process depends on the severity of damage to the nerve, nowadays the use of stem cells is one of the new and advanced methods for treatment of these problems. Following our review, data are collected from different databases "Google scholar, Springer, Elsevier, Egyptian Knowledge Bank, and PubMed" using different keywords such as Periphe...
Okamoto Y, Minami S, Matsuhashi A, Sashiwa H, Saimoto H, Shigemasa Y, Tanigawa T, Tanaka Y, Tokura S.The sponge-, cotton-, and flake-type remedies made of chitin (chitin-sponge, chitin-cotton, and chitin-flake, respectively), and non-woven fabric of polyester (NWF) composited with chitin (chitin-NWF) were applied to various types of trauma, abscess, surgical tissue defect and herniorrhaphy in 147 clinical cases including 72 dogs, 38 cows, 33 cats, 2 rabbits, one monkey and one horse. Chitin-sponge was applied in 30 cases as filling agent of surgical tissue defect, and in 25 cases of trauma, 31 cases of abscess as wound dressing or tissue defect filling agent. In 77 out of 86 cases (89.5%), go...
The Journal of traumaAugust 13, 2008
Volume 65, Issue 2 447-460 doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e31817dac43
Loder RT.It was the purpose of this study to review equestrian-related injuries using a large nation wide database and analyze predictors of significant injury. Methods: The National Electronic Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian injuries from 2002 to 2004. The presence of a fracture, dislocation, traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injury, orthopedic injury, and spinal injury, as well as injury mechanism, geographical location, and emergency room disposition were noted. Bivariate, cosinor seasonal, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. p < 0.01 was considere...
Comino F, Pollock PJ, Fulton I, Hewitt-Dedman C, Handel I, Gorvy DA.To achieve an excellent functional and cosmetic result, primary closure is preferred over leaving wounds to heal by secondary intention. However, traumatic wounds are often under excessive tension during wound closure and incorrect suture technique can compromise microcirculation, leading to skin necrosis and impaired wound healing. Objective: To describe an inexpensive and effective tension relief technique that helps the successful primary closure of a variety of equine wounds at high risk of dehiscence. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: All wounds that were managed with the Tensi...
Gonzalez-Cantero JL, Del Valle Diéguez M, Monteserín Matesanz C, Saura Lorente J, Villoria Medina F, Fortea Gil F, Castro Reyes E.We report a case of traumatic intracranial carotid artery pseudoaneurysm treated with an equine pericardium-covered stent. The patient was admitted to the Emergency Department after sustaining severe polytrauma in a motor vehicle accident. A cavernous carotid pseudoaneurysm was detected after an episode of massive epistaxis that required emergent nasal packing. Treatment with parent vessel sacrifice was ruled out after an unfavourable balloon test occlusion. We opted for an equine pericardium-covered stent as a means to immediately seal the wall defect in the setting of massive bleeding second...
Sidhu ABS, Rosanowski SM, Davis AM, Griffith JF, Robinson P.To quantitate the iatrogenic injury associated with deep plantar metatarsal fasciotomy performed with Metzenbaum scissors compared with a Y-shaped fasciotome. Methods: Experimental ex vivo surgical study. Methods: Cadaveric hind limbs (n = 20) from 10 sound thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: A plantar metatarsal fasciotomy was performed, extending from the proximal extent of the deep metatarsal fascia, distally. Hind limbs were randomly assigned to 2 groups, undergoing fasciotomy with straight Metzenbaum scissors (n = 10) or a Y-shaped fasciotome (n = 10). Magnetic resonance imaging...
Gfrerer L, Michel S, Fürst AE, Piskoty G, Weisse B, Montavon S, Jackson MA. The goal of this study was to generate mandibular fractures in three regions of the diastema using a metal impactor to simulate a kick from a horse and to determine the mean deceleration in the initial phase of the impact event, the maximum contact force, the impact energy necessary to create a fracture and the duration of the impact. Methods: Thirty heads of horses aged between 5 and 20 years and euthanatized for various reasons were used. The heads were attached to a steel bar at the occiput at an axial angle of 45 degrees so that the body of the mandible was positioned horizontally ...
Siebenga J, Segers MJ, Elzinga MJ, Bakker FC, Haarman HJ, Patka P.Retrospective study and review of literature. Objective: Study of demographic data concerning spinal fractures caused by horse riding, classification of fractures according to the AO and Load Sharing classifications, evaluation of mid-term radiological results and long-term functional results. Methods: A review of medical reports and radiological examinations of patients presented to our hospital with horse riding-related spine fractures over a 13-year period; long-term functional follow-up is performed using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ-24). Results: Thirty-six spine fract...
Häni H, Lang J, Ueltschi G.During archaeological excavations of the former knackers yard in Emmen (Canton Lucerne) skeletons and individual bones of more than 700 animals were recovered. 110 bone samples had lesions and were examined macroscopically and radiologically, 100 were from horses, 9 from dogs and only one from cattle. According to morphological and etiopathogenetical criteria, lesions are presented in the following groups: tooth irregularities (10), degenerative changes in bones and joints due to overload and aging (80), trauma and infection (10), other lesions (10). Over 80% of pathological bone samples prese...
Gabrielyan A, Knaak S, Gelinsky M, Arnhold S, Rösen-Wolff A.In vivo tissue regeneration depends on migration of stem cells into injured areas, their differentiation into specific cell types, and their interaction with other cells that are necessary to generate new tissue. Human mesenchymal stem cells, a subset of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), can migrate and differentiate into osteoblasts in bone tissue. This can be facilitated by recombinant growth factors and cytokines. In many animal species, the availability of genomic sequences, recombinant proteins, and/or antibodies is limited so that new approaches are needed to generate resources that fac...
Koren L, Stahl S, Rovitsky A, Peled E.Amputation of fingers with tendon avulsion occurs through a traction injury, and most occur through a ring avulsion mechanism. Usually the flexor digitorum profundus is torn out with the amputated finger. Replantation usually is recommended only when the amputation is distal to the flexor digitorum superficialis insertion. Animal bites are relatively common, with a decreasing order of frequency of dogs, cats, and humans. Horse bites are relatively infrequent but are associated with crush injuries and tissue loss when they occur. This article describes a 23-year-old man with amputation of his m...
Haig L, Skinner K.Equine-assisted services (EAS) are gaining popularity as ways to promote psychological health and social well-being. EAS may show particular promise as culturally appropriate initiatives for at-risk Indigenous youth, as they are thought to align well with Indigenous ways of knowing which place emphasis on relationships between the land and all living beings. We seek to better understand previous uses of EAS as initiatives for at-risk youth populations, including Indigenous populations, and learn about which outcomes have been addressed in the literature with an EAS initiative by conducting a s...
Dutton DM, Honnas CM, Watkins JP.To determine the outcome of horses with suprascapular nerve injury treated with stall rest alone. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 8 horses. Methods: Information on signalment, history, limbs affected, severity of lameness, degree of muscle atrophy, gait abnormalities, and results of radiography and electromyography was obtained from medical records. All horses were treated with stall rest. Follow-up information on severity of lameness, gait abnormalities, degree of muscle atrophy, time between injury and resolution of gait abnormalities, and outcome was obtained during reexaminati...
Gomiero C, Bertolutti G, Martinello T, Van Bruaene N, Broeckx SY, Patruno M, Spaas JH.Tendons regenerate poorly due to a dense extracellular matrix and low cellularity. Cellular therapies aim to improve tendon repair using mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes; however, a current limitation is the low proliferative potential of tenocytes in cases of severe trauma. The purpose of this study was to develop a method useful in veterinary medicine to improve the differentiation of Peripheral Blood equine mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSCs) into tenocytes. PB-MSCs were used to study the effects of the addition of some growth factors (GFs) as TGFβ3 (transforming growth factor), EGF2 (Epi...
Hunt RJ, Allen D, Mueller PO.Heterotopic polyodontia is typically associated with a sinus and a fistulous tract with a secreting membrane which extends to an ectopic tooth attached to the temporal bone. Recommendations for treatment include complete excision of the tract, the dental component, and the lining of the alveolar socket. Iatrogenic cerebral trauma was encountered during surgical extraction of an ectopic tooth. At post-mortem examination a second ectopic tooth was found compressing the right side of the cerebellum.
Byron CR, Benson BM, Karlin WM, Stewart AA.To report the use of a proximolateral endoscopic portal with a distolateral instrument portal for carpal retinaculum release in a horse clinically affected with carpal canal syndrome. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: A 4-year-old Thoroughbred female. Methods: Carpal canal syndrome secondary to traumatic suppurative tenosynovitis was treated by accessory carpal bone debridement and carpal retinaculum release using a tenoscopic approach to the carpal flexor synovial sheath through a proximolateral endoscope portal and a distolateral instrument portal. Results: Resolution of carpal sheath effus...
Collier MA, Haugland LM, Bellamy J, Johnson LL, Rohrer MD, Walls RC, Bartels KE.This study was performed to investigate the effects of holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser energy on articular cartilage and subchondral bone adjacent to traumatically created cartilage lesions in a continuous weight-bearing model. The 2.1-microns wavelength was delivered efficiently and precisely in hand-controlled contact and near-contact hard tissue arthroscopic surgery in a saline medium. Bilateral arthroscopy was performed on normal antebrachiocarpal and intercarpal joints of four adult horses. One hundred twenty traumatic lesions were created on three weight-bearing articular ...
El-Menyar A, Khan NA, Naqvi SGA, Al-Thani H.The large animal-related injuries are emerging major trauma but remain underestimated public health problem worldwide. We aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, mechanisms and patterns of horse and camel-related injuries (HCRIs) in a Middle Eastern country. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients who were hospitalized due to HCRIs was conducted. Data included patient's demographics, mechanism of injury, anatomical location and severity of injury, and hospital outcomes. Results: Between November 2007 and December 2021, there were 273 hospitalized patients with HCR...
Anoushepour A, Eftekhari S, Masoudifard M.Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) plays an important role in the locomotion of the horses with flexion of the limbs. In the hind limb, it passes over the calcaneal bone and attaches to medial and lateral surfaces of calcaneous by two bands of connective tissue; while, the medial band is weaker than the lateral one. Occasionally, severe trauma, over-extension or fracture of the calcaneous may cause rupture of the supportive bands leading to tendon luxation. An 11-year-old Thoroughbred jumping gelding with symptoms of lameness in both legs, after examination by an internal specialist vete...
Vidović A, Kuhn S.Fractures of the splint bones are the most common fractures in horses. Various treatment options for splint bone fractures (MC/MT II and IV), including conservative and surgical management, have been described. This report describes an acute splint bone fracture due to external trauma in a 17-year-old Icelandic mare. The fracture was diagnosed as an open multifragment fracture of the proximal third of the fourth metacarpal bone (MCIV) in the right front limb. Surgery was performed with the horse under general anaesthesia. The distal fragments were removed, and the distal part of the proximal r...
Munday JS, Lewis MC, Leyland MH.Equine sarcoids are common skin tumors that are thought to be caused by cross-species infection by bovine papillomaviruses (BPV). A 16-year-old horse developed a 1cm diameter mandibular gingival mass opposite the right second premolar tooth (406) and a 2cm diameter mass close to the commissure of the lips on the same side of the mouth. The right cheek was diffusely thickened. Histology of the smaller mass revealed a proliferation of mesenchymal cells covered by hyperplastic epithelium that formed thick rete pegs. BPV2 DNA was amplified from the mass. Although the mass had been incompletely exc...
Neville EK, Hicks H, Neville CC.Horses are used for many recreational and occupational activities. They are large, strong, temperamental, and unpredictable animals and people involved with them are at risk for injuries, from minor abrasions to severe injuries that may lead to death. This review reports on horse trauma in relation to the characteristics of injured equestrians, characteristics of horse trauma, and clinical outcomes. Methods: A literature search was conducted from health-related electronic databases to identify studies from 2018 to 2023. The search returned 115 relevant full-text articles but after screening an...
Janeczek M, Makowiecki D, Rozwadowska A, Chudziak W, Pasicka E.The work is the first comprehensive analysis of equine pathological changes from the Polish territory. The research material was collected from 20 archaeological sites, mainly early medieval settlements, such as strongholds, settlements, towns and horse graves. In the material examined, 186 cases of lesions were found. Of these, 26.9% were lesions of the spine, 39.8% lesions of the limb skeleton and 31.7% lesions of the head including dental pathologies. Most of the lesions in the limbs involved their distal segments. The vast majority of pathological cases can be linked to animal use. It was ...
de Preux M, Precht C, Guevar J, Graubner C, Thenhaus-Schnabel S, Buser L, Lukes A, Koch C.A 16-year-old warmblood mare was referred with a progressive history of behavioral changes and left-sided blindness. Following neuroanatomical localization to the forebrain, magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed a well-delineated, 4.5 cm in diameter, round pituitary mass causing marked compression of the midbrain and optic chiasm. Euthanasia was recommended but declined by the owners. Veterinary specialists and a human neurosurgeon collaboratively prepared for surgical case management. A novel navigated transmandibular lateral transsphenoidal approach was developed to access the re...
