Factors associated with racing performance of Thoroughbreds undergoing lag screw repair of condylar fractures of the third metacarpal or metatarsal bone.
Abstract: To evaluate effects of sex, fracture configuration, affected limb, and screw placement on outcome of Thoroughbreds with condylar fractures involving the third metacarpal or metatarsal bone. Methods: Cohort study. Animals-56 horses. Methods: Age, sex, affected limb, fracture configuration, fracture length, fracture fragment width, and distance of the most distal screw from the articular surface were analyzed in logistic regression models. Results: Females were more likely to have displaced fractures and race in fewer races after surgery than males. Sex and fracture configuration were associated with number of postoperative races. Among horses that returned to racing, those with thicker fracture fragments were 11 times as likely as horses with thinner fracture fragments to win a race after surgery. Horses with longer fractures and older horses had fewer postoperative races. Horses in which the most distal screw had been placed further from the joint surface had more races. Conclusions: Results suggest that female horses with displaced condylar fractures and male horses with nondisplaced condylar fractures are more likely to be referred for treatment. The effect of sex on outcome for these horses cannot be clearly separated from the effect of fracture configuration. When adjusted for fracture configuration, males were 6 times as likely as females to race after surgery. When adjusted for sex, horses with nondisplaced fractures were 17 times as likely as horses with displaced fractures to race after surgery. Results suggest that the most distal screw should be placed above the epicondylar fossa.
Publication Date: 2001-01-02 PubMed ID: 11132895DOI: 10.2460/javma.2000.217.1870Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research paper analyzes the impact of different factors, such as sex, fracture configuration, the affected limb and screw placement on the performance of racing Thoroughbreds after undergoing surgery for condylar fractures in the third metacarpal or metatarsal bone.
Objective and Methods
- The aim of the study was to gauge the influence of various parameters on the post-surgery outcome of Thoroughbreds that have undergone lag screw repair for condylar fractures in their third metacarpal/metatarsal bones.
- A total of 56 horses were included in the study and their age, sex, affected limb, fracture configuration and length, fracture fragment width, and the location of the most distal screw relative to the articular surface were studied using logistic regression models.
Results
- The study found that females were more likely to have displaced fractures and partake in fewer races post-surgery compared to males. The gender and fracture configuration of the horses were found to be associated with the number of races they participate in after surgery.
- Out of the horses that returned to racing, horses with thicker fracture fragments had 11 times the odds of winning a race after surgery compared to those with thinner fracture fragments.
- Conversely, horses with longer fractures and older horses partook in fewer races post-surgery. Horses in which the most distal screw was placed farther from the joint surface participated in a higher number of races.
Conclusions
- The results suggest that female horses with displaced condylar fractures and male horses with nondisplaced condylar fractures are more likely to be referred for treatment. However, the effect of the horse’s sex on the outcome cannot be clearly separated from the effect of fracture configuration.
- After adjusting for fracture configuration, males are six times more likely than females to participate in races after surgery. After adjusting for gender, horses with nondisplaced fractures are 17 times more likely than those with displaced fractures to race after surgery.
- Based on the results, the most distal screw should be placed above the epicondylar fossa.
Cite This Article
APA
Martin GS.
(2001).
Factors associated with racing performance of Thoroughbreds undergoing lag screw repair of condylar fractures of the third metacarpal or metatarsal bone.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 217(12), 1870-1877.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2000.217.1870 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Bone Screws / veterinary
- Cohort Studies
- Female
- Fracture Fixation / methods
- Fracture Fixation / veterinary
- Fractures, Bone / surgery
- Fractures, Bone / veterinary
- Horses / injuries
- Horses / surgery
- Logistic Models
- Male
- Metacarpus / injuries
- Metacarpus / surgery
- Metatarsal Bones / injuries
- Metatarsal Bones / surgery
- Regression Analysis
- Running / economics
- Sex Factors
- Statistics, Nonparametric
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Irandoust S, Whitton C, Henak C, Muir P. Tuning and validation of a virtual mechanical testing pipeline for condylar stress fracture risk assessment in Thoroughbred racehorses. R Soc Open Sci 2025 May;12(5):241935.
- Bergstrom TC, Spriet M, Carpenter RS, Jacques KL, Stover SM. Condylar fracture location is correlated to exercise history in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Vet J 2025 Jan;57(1):76-86.
- Brabon A, Hughes KJ, Labens R. Comparison of interfragmentary compression across simulated condylar fractures repaired using four techniques. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1233921.
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