Qualitative and quantitative documentation of the racing performance of 461 Thoroughbred racehorses after arthroscopic removal of dorsoproximal first phalanx osteochondral fractures (1986-1995).

The study examines the racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses after going through a surgical procedure to remove specific types of bone fractures called dorsoproximal first phalanx osteochondral fractures. It found that the majority of horses returned to racing at the same or higher level, and their performance did not diminish post-surgery.

Objective and Methodology

• The research aimed to determine the postoperative careers’ duration and performance quality of 461 Thoroughbred racehorses who underwent the arthroscopic removal of dorsoproximal first phalanx (P1) osteochondral fractures.
• The fractures were identified as the cause of lameness or decreased performance in these horses.
• The researchers used both radiological and arthroscopic examination to identify fragment sites, affected joints, and the average amount of fractures per horse and joint.

Findings

• Out of the 461 horses, 411 (about 89%) returned to racing after surgery.
• Moreover, 82% (or 377 horses) raced at the same level or higher than their pre-surgery performance.
• There were however 50 horses who did not return to race after the surgery.
• Additionally, after the surgery, 68% of the horses participated in a Stake or Allowance race, which are races of higher standards.

Conclusion

• The data, which were previously undocumented, demonstrated that the quantity and quality of performance did not decrease after the arthroscopic treatment of dorsoproximal P1 fragmentation.
• The researchers concluded that surgical removal of chip fractures is a viable method to preserve the economic value of an injured Thoroughbred, allowing a rapid and successful return to racing at the previous level of racing performance.