Femoral capital physeal fractures in 25 foals.

The study is about examining medical records of 25 foals, within a year of age, who suffered fractures in the femoral head and neck over an 18-year period.

Study Background and Objective

• The study aimed to review and analyze medical records of 25 foals with a specific type of fracture, the femoral capital physeal fractures, over an 18 year period. The goal was to understand the age of occurrence, impact, and long-term results of these fractures specifically focusing on foals, young horses that are under 1 year of age.

Methodology

• All foals in the study were aged somewhere from 11 days to 12 months, with an average age of 5 months.
• It was observed that these types of fractures did not occur in horses older than 1 year during the study period.
• The onset of severe, one-sided hindlimb lameness was the common symptom for all cases, with the timing varying from 3 hours to 2 months before the presentation.
• The causes of injury identified were violent falls, inner struggles, and kicks.
• Physical symptoms like crepitation (a grating sound usually of bones), swelling, and pain with manipulation or palpation were noted, but not consistently present in all cases.
• A tentative clinical diagnosis confirmed by radiography was completed for 24 foals, while necropsy, the process of examining a body after death, was conducted on one foal.

Results and Conclusion

• Out of the 25 foals, 21 were euthanized due to the poor prognosis of their condition.
• One of them was sent home for confinement in a stable but was eventually lost to follow-up.
• Surgical repair was attempted on three of the foals. Two of them were treated with multiple intramedullary pins, but were euthanized within two weeks due to surgical failure and in one case, the breakdown of the limb on the opposite side.
• The third foal’s fracture was repaired using a compressor screw and plate device. This foal was reportedly doing well in pasture at the 20-month follow-up point.

Implications of the Study

• This study indicates that femoral capital physeal fractures in foals, though not prevalent in older horses, can lead to severe lameness and potential euthanisation when interventions fail. The study also stresses the importance of prompt and appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in managing these fractures.