Tragically, sometimes, the most humane way of dealing with very severe fractures is euthanasia: Mummify's canon simply snapped.
Question: How are fractures treated in the racehorse? Answer: Smaller fractures can be treated effectively by removing the fracture fragment or by screw fixation, in which screws are surgically inserted into the bone to hold the fragments together. In such cases, the horse will often be able to return to athletic function. More severe fractures, such as to the distal condyle (lower knobby portion) of the cannon bone and the first phalanx (long pastern bone), can also be successfully treated with screw fixation.
Other severe injuries that can be treated with screw fixation include slab fractures, where the bone is broken vertically and extends from one articular surface to another in the carpus (knee)and hock. Fractures in the shafts of the long bones that do not affect the joint surface, however, require more sophisticated repair techniques using bone plates as well as screws. In the last 15 years,the development of new equipment and implants has enabled veterinarians to repair many fractures that were previously considered hopeless.
Fractures in the upper limb are particularly problematical in that the horse needs to stand on the limb immediately after anesthesia, yet external support with a cast may be inadequate to support its weight. In younger animals (under 600 lbs), fractures to the bones in the upper limbs can often be successfully repaired.
Bone grafts are sometimes used to help repair fractures. Bone is taken from another area of the horse’s body (often the hip)and implanted in the area being repaired to hasten the repair process.
A common injury site in the lower limb is the proximal sesamoid bones. Located at the back of the fetlock joint, the sesamoid bones act as a lever over which tendons and ligaments pass. The suspensory ligament has an extensive attachment to the outer edge of the sesamoid bones. There are four main types of fractures in the sesamoids— apical (along the top of the bone), abaxial (the side of the sesamoid away from the ankle joint), mid-body (sesamoid broken in half) and basilar (through the bottom).
The fracture of the bone itself is not always the major determinant of whether the horse is returned to competitive soundness, retired for breeding or euthanized. The amount of soft tissue damage, disruption in blood supply and damage to the suspensory ligament’s attachment to the bone are important factors in the prognosis. The more severe the damage to the ligaments, the less support there is for the limb,therefore the more critical the injury. However, if only a small fragment is fractured, surgical removal can commonly result in a sound horse.
There are still situations when a horse with a serious fracture cannot be saved. The fracture site might be too contaminated or the blood supply may be sufficiently compromised to allow for successful repair. The horse’s large size and weight often inhibit treatment. Sometimes an individual’s temperament won’t allow for recuperation. Many times, complications occur in the other limbs due to excessive weight-bearing during the rehabilitaton period. In these cases, the humane solution is euthanasia.
