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Veterinary surgery : VS2021; 51(1); 62-67; doi: 10.1111/vsu.13701

Survival and racing performance after surgical treatment of rib fractures in foals.

Abstract: To evaluate the short and long-term outcomes of foals treated surgically for fractured ribs and variables that may affect outcome. Methods: Retrospective. Methods: Seventy-three equine neonates with surgically repaired fractured ribs. Methods: Medical records were reviewed to include sex, breed, the side of thorax affected, number of ribs fractured, co-morbidities directly associated with rib fracture, and surgical technique used. Short-term outcome was defined as survival to discharge. Long-term outcome was whether or not they started a race. Race records of maternal siblings were obtained for comparison. Results: Seventy-three neonates underwent surgery for fractured ribs. Fifty-seven neonates (78%) survived to discharge from the hospital. Rib fractures were more commonly observed in colts and in the left hemithorax (61% and 57%, respectively). Sex, side affected, number of ribs fractured, co-morbidities, number of ribs repaired, and surgical technique did not affect the short- or long-term outcomes. Thirty-five of 57 (61%) foals treated surgically for rib fractures that survived to discharge started a race compared to 173 of 257 (67%) of maternal siblings that raced. Conclusions: Short- and long-term outcome were not affected by co-morbidities, surgical technique, or number of fractured ribs. Conclusions: Neonates with surgically repaired fractured ribs had a good prognosis for survival and and those that survived had a similar chances of starting a race compared to maternal siblings.
© 2021 American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
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Publication Date: 2021-09-06 PubMed ID: 34486743DOI: 10.1111/vsu.13701Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research evaluates the outcomes of foals who underwent surgery for fractured ribs, considering various parameters such as sex, breed, number of ribs fractured, co-morbidities, and surgical technique. It concludes that these parameters do not influence the survival or racing performance of the foals, and those who survived surgery had almost equal chances of starting a race as their maternal siblings.

Methodology

  • The study is a retrospective analysis, focusing on 73 equine neonates who received surgical treatment for rib fractures.
  • Data collected from medical records included the neonate’s sex, breed, the side of the thorax affected, number of ribs fractured, any co-morbidities directly linked to the rib fracture, and the surgical technique employed.
  • The researchers used two primary measures to assess outcomes: short-term survival, defined as survival to the point of hospital discharge, and long-term outcome, determined by the neonates’ participation in a race.
  • The racing performance of the treated foals was also compared to that of maternal siblings.

Results

  • Out of 73 neonates who underwent surgery, 57 (78%) survived till they were discharged from the hospital.
  • Rib fractures were more commonly found in male foals (colts) and on the left side of the thorax.
  • The study did not find any correlation between the foals’ sex, the side affected by the fracture, number of ribs fractured, co-morbidities, number of ribs repaired, and the surgical technique employed with the short- or long-term outcomes.
  • The data demonstrated that 35 out of the 57 neonates who survived (61%) started a race, a figure comparable to 173 out of 257 (67%) maternal siblings who raced.

Conclusions

  • The research concludes that co-morbidities, surgical methods, and the number of fractured ribs do not influence either the short- or long-term outcomes of neonates with surgically repaired rib fractures.
  • The prognosis for survival of neonates who undergo surgery for rib fractures is positive.
  • The likelihood of these neonates starting a race, given they survive, is similar to their maternal siblings who had not experienced rib fractures.

Cite This Article

APA
Velloso Álvarez A, Sandow CB, Rodgerson DH, Spirito MA. (2021). Survival and racing performance after surgical treatment of rib fractures in foals. Vet Surg, 51(1), 62-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13701

Publication

Veterinary surgery : VS
ISSN: 1532-950X
NlmUniqueID: 8113214
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 51
Issue: 1
Pages: 62-67

Researcher Affiliations

Velloso Álvarez, Ana
  • University Cardenal Herrera CEU, Valencia, Spain.
Sandow, Cole B
  • Hagyard Medical Institute, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Rodgerson, Dwayne H
  • Hagyard Medical Institute, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Spirito, Michael A
  • Hagyard Medical Institute, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horse Diseases / surgery
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Rib Fractures / surgery
  • Rib Fractures / veterinary
  • Ribs

References

This article includes 11 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
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