Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical treatment of sacral fracture in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1991
- Authors:
- Collatos, C et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Medicine · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old Arabian stallion had been experiencing intense itching at the base of his tail and a gradual loss of tail movement for three months. After a thorough examination and X-rays, the veterinarians found a fracture in the lower part of his spine. They performed surgery to relieve pressure and amputated part of the tail. Following the surgery, the horse made a full recovery and was able to return to his normal athletic and breeding activities.
Abstract
An 8-year-old Arabian stallion had signs of severe tailhead pruritus and slowly progressive loss of tail tone for 3 months. Palpation per rectum and radiography of the sacrocaudal region revealed a transverse, ventrally displaced fracture of the caudal portion of the sacrum. Surgical decompression and tail amputation resulted in complete recovery of athletic and reproductive function. Evidence of cauda equina neuritis was not seen on histologic examination of nerve roots obtained at surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2026544/