Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Colt with scapula fracture - how surgery helped
By Miyakoshi, Daisuke et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2022·Mitsuishi Animal Medical Center, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fixation of a scapular body fracture in a 5 month old foal using three 4.5/5.0 mm locking compression plates.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-month-old Thoroughbred colt had a serious fracture in his shoulder blade that needed surgery. The vets used special plates and screws to fix the broken bone, but three days after the surgery, they noticed an infection at the surgical site. They treated the infection with daily cleaning, and it cleared up within 15 days. Three months later, the colt was doing well and was allowed to go back outside, and a year after the surgery, he was healthy and training to race. Overall, the surgery was successful, and the colt recovered well.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report a surgical technique and an outcome for the repair of a displaced, transverse scapular body fracture with locking compression plates (LCPs) in a colt. ANIMALS: One 5 month old Thoroughbred colt. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: A colt sustained an unstable, comminuted, transverse fracture of the scapular body. Three 4.5/5.0 mm LCPs were used with 6.5 mm cancellous screws, 4.5 mm cortex screws, and 5.0 mm locking head screws. Implants were removed 2 months after surgery. RESULTS: Surgical site infection was identified by purulent discharge at the distal aspect of the suture line 3 days after surgery. The surgical site infection resolved with daily lavage within 15 days after surgery. Three months after internal fixation of the scapular body fracture, the colt was sound and was turned out to pasture. One year later, the colt was sound and in training to be a flat racehorse. CONCLUSION: Repair of a scapular body fracture using LCP provided a good outcome with an early return to soundness. The LCP system can therefore be considered for the repair of scapular body fractures in small equids.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34866213/