Arthroscopic removal of fracture fragments involving a portion of the base of the proximal sesamoid bone in horses: 26 cases (1984-1997).

The study examines the impact and effectiveness of arthroscopic removal of fracture fragments on horses with basal fractures of the proximal sesamoid bone and explores if the size of the fragment influences the outcomes of the operation.

Study Overview

• The study is retrospective in nature, and it focuses on horses that have undergone arthroscopic surgeries to remove fracture fragments from the base of their proximal sesamoid bone.
• 26 horses were part of the study, and the researchers collected data such as the length of the fracture fragment and the percentage of the sesamoid bone base that was involved in the fracture.
• Fractures were classified into two categories—grade 1, when the fracture involved 25% or less of the bone base, and grade 2, when the fracture involved more than 25% but less than 100% of the bone base.

Measure of Success

• The success of the operation was determined based on whether the horse could return to racing after the surgery.
• The outcomes were classified as successful if the horse was able to participate in at least two races, and unsuccessful if the horse could only participate in one race or could not return to racing at all.

Results

• Of the 24 racehorses, 12 were able to go back to racing and participate in at least two races.
• When considering the grade of fracture, it was found that 8 out of 14 horses with grade 1 fractures and 4 out of 10 horses with grade 2 fractures had a successful outcome.
• Among the horses without any associated articular disease, 10 out of 16 had successful outcomes, while only 2 out of 8 horses with associated articular disease had successful outcomes.
• However, it was acknowledged that fragment size and presence of associated articular disease did not have a significant correlation with the outcome of the surgery.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that horses with basal fractures of the proximal sesamoid bone where a fracture fragment has been arthroscopically removed have a reasonably good chance of returning to racing.