Fracture configurations of the equine radius and tibia after a simulated kick.

The research involved a postmortem study to understand fracture configurations in horse legs (specifically, the radius and tibia bones) caused by a simulated kick. The study found that the type of fracture varies based on the type of bone and the findings can help in the surgical stabilization of these fractures.

Experiment Setup

• The study performed a postmortem analysis of 35 radius bones and 36 tibia bones from 19 adult horses.
• The bones were prepared by dissecting, embedding the proximal and distal ends in resin, and fixing them horizontally.
• A drop test was performed to simulate the impact of a shod horse’s kick. A steel impactor, designed to represent the hoof, was dropped from a height of three to six meters onto the middle of the bones.
• A high-speed camera, capturing 30,000 images per second, was used to record the impact and subsequent fracture.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Post-impact, the bones were photographed and radiographed using a C-arm-based 3D imaging device to visualise the fractures.
• Osirix software was used to create a three-dimensional reconstruction of the fractured bones for the assessment of fracture and fissure lines.
• The study found complete fractures in 42 bones (of these, 22 were butterfly fractures, and 20 were simple fractures). Incomplete fractures occurred in 26 bones.
• Almost every bone fracture (98%) had additional longitudinal fissures.
• The scientists noted that the butterfly fragment was consistently located on the side opposite the impact point.

Research Findings & Implications

• The team discovered a significant correlation between the type of bone and the fracture configuration. Butterfly and oblique fractures occurred more frequently in the tibia, while incomplete fractures were more common in the radius.
• The data derived from this study could help in optimising the evaluation of fractures and fissures caused by a kick. This could potentially guide in developing improved surgical stabilization techniques for such fractures.