Surgical management and outcome of a type-III Salter-Harris fracture of the frontal plane of the distal radial physis in a foal.

This research paper is about a surgical procedure executed on a Thoroughbred filly that had a severe type-III Salter-Harris fracture of the frontal plane on her left foreleg’s radial physis. The study concluded that such fractures in horses, previously not reported, could carry a negative prognosis for physical performance.

Introduction and Patient Details

• The research focuses on a 4-week-old Thoroughbred filly that had lameness with a sudden severe onset in the left foreleg. The lameness had lasted for three days before examination.
• Upon inspection, the foal had noticeable swelling surrounding the distal radius and carpus (wrist region). The filly was also suffering from carpal varus, a condition where the affected limb turns inward, though this condition was manually reducible at the time of examination.

Diagnosis

• Using radiography, the researchers discovered an intra-articular frontal plane fracture on the distal radial epiphysis of the left foreleg. The fracture continued through the distal radial physis (DRP), an area responsible for bone growth in young animals.
• The lateral aspect of the DRP was wider than usual, indicating possible abnormality or damage.

Treatment Approaches

• To address the instability in the carpus, the researchers placed a lag screw from the dorsal midline across the fracture through the epiphyses.
• However, the DRP closed prematurely causing a non-reducible carpal varus deformity.
• The length of the limb was also impacted due to the aforementioned condition.
• A surgical procedure was conducted to partially correct the varus deformity.

Conclusions and Implications

• The researchers identified the issue as a frontal-plane Salter-Harris type-III DRP fracture with added varus deformity due to injury to the growth plate (physeal injury).
• This type of fracture does not have any previous reports in equine veterinary medicine, therefore, it presents a new line of study.
• The prognosis for athletic performance of horses suffering from this kind of fracture is considered poor based on this study. Thus, it has significant implications on the overall health and career of racing horses or horses involved in strenuous activities.