Page 54 - Equine Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction, 2nd Edition

Musculoskeletal system: 1.1 A pproach to the lame horse 29

VetBooks.ir Fig. 1.53 Dorsopalmar radiograph 1.53 1.54
of the first phalanx of a Thoroughbred
racehorse that has sustained a non-
displaced midline sagittal fracture during
training. Note the two fracture lines
that correspond to the dorsal and palmar
cortices, the starting point at the sagittal
groove and the way the fracture turns
and exits through the lateral cortex of the
mid pastern.

Fig. 1.54 Intraoperative radiograph
showing placement of two lag screws
from lateral to medial compressing the
fracture line. Note the hypodermic
needle markers at the level of the
metacarpophalangeal joint and distal
fracture line.

1.55

Fig. 1.55 Lateral radiograph of the
repair of an olecranon fracture by the
tension-band principle using a bone
plate applied to the caudal surface of
the bone.

simple oblique third metacarpal bone fractures and screw (DCS) and the dynamic hip screw (DHS)
radial and tibial fractures can be repaired using sin- has improved the management of long-bone frac-
gle or double broad DCP or LCP plates depending tures. Additionally, the technique of plate luting has
on the type of fracture configuration and the size improved the plate–bone interface when using DCP
of the animal (Figs. 1.56, 1.57). Other screws are plates, strengthening the fracture repair in long
used in certain circumstances (e.g. cancellous, can- bones. It must be noted that although fracture repair
nulated and self-tapping) and plates can also be used in the horse has advanced greatly in recent years, the
in a neutralisation and buttress mode. The avail- size of adult horses and the quality of anaesthetic
ability of special plates such as the dynamic condylar recoveries are still major limiting factors for fracture