Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Articular fracture of the dorsoproximolateral aspect of the third metatarsal bone in five standardbred racehorses.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Ross, M W et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Studies · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study involving five Standardbred racehorses, an injury called an articular fracture occurred in the upper part of a bone in their back legs, leading to sudden lameness. Three of these horses had previous issues with their ankle and foot bones, which were seen in earlier tests. The exact cause of this type of fracture isn't fully understood, but it might be linked to unusual bone growth in the affected area. Unfortunately, the outlook for these horses returning to racing after this injury is not very promising.
Abstract
Articular fracture of the dorsoproximolateral aspect of the third metatarsal bone (MT3) caused an acute onset of lameness in 5 horses; however, 3 of the horses had historical and radiographic or scintigraphic evidence of chronic tarsal and metatarsal disease before fracture. The pathogenesis of dorsoproximolateral fracture of MT3 remains unclear, but the fracture may occur as a result of the formation of abnormal bone in the proximal aspect of MT3. The prognosis for racing in horses with this fracture appears to be guarded.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8407540/