Conservative Management of Unilateral Fractures of the Mandibular Rami in Horses.

This research tracked the results of non-surgical treatment for horses with fractures in one side of the lower jaw, finding that the vast majority of horses returned to their normal or intended function, with minimal persistent problems reported.

Study Design

• The study was a retrospective case series, meaning the researchers were reviewing and analyzing data from previous cases rather than conducting a new experimental study.
• The researchers considered unilateral mandibular fractures, which are fractures of one side (either right or left) of the lower jaw. This type of fracture was chosen because it could potentially be managed conservatively, that is, without surgery.
• The data was gathered from medical records spanning from January 2000 to January 2014. Included in the study were horses that had these unilateral fractures and were managed conservatively, and for which follow-up data was available.

Data Collection

• Follow-up data on the clinical outcome was collected from the horse’s medical records or sourced via telephone interviews with owners or trainers. This follow-up data was important because it allowed the researchers to evaluate long-term outcomes of the conservative treatment.
• The primary outcomes they were looking at were whether the horse returned to its previous or intended use and whether it showed any signs of difficulty with chewing (masticatory problems) or problems related to the fracture healing.

Results

• The results showed that 23 of the 24 horses, or 96%, returned to their previous or intended use and had no evident masticatory or healing-related problems at the time of follow-up.
• Only one horse, or 4% of the sample, had reported problems, including a loose tooth, issues with food impacting the wound site, and difficulty chewing.

Conclusion

• Based on their results, the authors concluded that conservative management for unilateral fractures of the mandibular rami can be a successful treatment option in horses.
• This type of treatment could be a good choice for certain cases, considering the potential issues with surgical treatment, such as the risks associated with anaesthesia and surgery recovery processes.