Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical Repair of a Unicortical Condylar Fracture in a Thoroughbred Racehorse Using a Bioabsorbable Screw.
- Journal:
- Journal of equine veterinary science
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Ravanetti, Paolo et al.
- Affiliation:
- Equitecnica Equine Hospital · Italy
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this case, a Thoroughbred racehorse had a specific type of bone fracture in its leg that needed surgery. The veterinarians used a special screw that dissolves over time to help fix the fracture. After the surgery, the horse was closely monitored, and by eighteen weeks later, it was no longer limping, and the bone looked normal again on imaging tests. A year after the surgery, the horse was back in training and was considered ready to race again by its trainer. Overall, the treatment with the bioabsorbable screw worked well in this case.
Abstract
Surgical repair of unicortical fractures of the distal condyles of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bones (MCIII/MTIII) has been described. In the present case, a bioabsorbable screw was used to stabilize a unicortical fracture in the palmar aspect of the medial condyle of MCIII in a National Hunt Thoroughbred racehorse. The clinical, radiographic, and magnetic resonance imaging findings before and after surgery were recorded. Eighteen weeks after surgery, the lameness had resolved and the bone surrounding the fracture had recovered its normal architecture. One year after surgery, the horse was in training, showed no recurrence of the primary lesion and was considered a "racing prospect" by the trainer. The use of a bioabsorbable screw in this case was associated with a successful outcome and is worthy of further investigation.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33781430/