Tension-band wiring and lag screw fixation of a transverse, comminuted fracture of a patella in a horse.

The research article discusses a surgical treatment applied to a horse that had a transverse, comminuted fracture of the patella. The treatment, a combination of tension-band wiring and lag-screw fixation, was successful, with the horse showing satisfactory healing and no complications, and it was even able to return to pleasure riding.

Treatment Method

• The procedure used for treating the horse’s fractured patella involved tension-band wiring and lag-screw fixation. This is a surgical technique commonly used in orthopedics. It involves the placement of screws and wires in such a way that they act as a tension band when under compressive forces. The tension band converts tensile forces into compressive forces on the convex side of an eccentric load. This technique helps stabilize the fracture and enables the bone to heal properly.
• Along with the tension-band wiring and lag-screw fixation, a partial patellectomy was performed. This procedure involved the surgical removal of a portion of the patella or smaller detached fragments. This is usually done when the bone fragments are too small to be fixed back into place and would otherwise interfere with the healing process.

Post-Surgery Observation and Findings

• After the surgery, the horse’s recovery was closely monitored. Ten weeks post-surgery, satisfactory healing of the fracture was observed. There were no complications encountered, suggesting the procedure and the aftercare were well administered.
• The implants resulting from the surgical procedure were not removed. This is possibly due to them not causing any discomfort or complications to the horse, or their removal might risk destabilizing the healed fracture.
• Four months after the surgery, the horse was sound and capable of trotting, indicating its recovery was successful. Even more remarkably, the horse was used for pleasure riding eight months after the surgery, highlighting not only the success of the procedure but also the quality of life it permitted the horse to regain.