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A Clinical Evaluation of a Headless, Titanium, Variable‐Pitched, Tapered, Compression Screw for Repair of Nondisplaced Lateral Condylar Fractures in Thoroughbred Racehorses
Author(s) -
GALUPPO LARRY D.,
SIMPSON EDWIN L.,
GREENMAN SYLVIA L.,
DOWD JOSEPH P.,
FERRARO GREGORY L.,
MEAGHER DENNIS M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
veterinary surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1532-950X
pISSN - 0161-3499
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2006.00170.x
Subject(s) - medicine , condyle , surgery , radiography , scaphoid fracture , orthodontics
Objective— To report clinical evaluation of headless compression screws for repair of metacarpal/metatarsal (MC/MT3) condylar fractures in horses. Study Design— Retrospective case study. Sample Population— Racing Thoroughbreds (n=16) with nondisplaced lateral condylar fractures of MC/MT 3. Methods— Medical records (1999–2004) of horses with nondisplaced longitudinal fractures of the lateral condyle of MC/MT3 were reviewed. Pre‐operative variables retrieved were: patient age, gender, limb involvement, injury occurrence, fracture length, and width, evidence of palmar comminution and degenerative joint disease, number of pre‐injury starts, and pre‐injury earnings. Post‐operative variables retrieved were: surgical complications, surgical time, number of race starts, and post‐operative earnings. Results— MC3 (n=11) and MT3 (5) nondisplaced longitudinal fractures of the lateral condyle were repaired with Acutrak ® Equine (AE) screws. Left front limb fractures were most common (8) followed by left hind (5) and right front (3). Nine fractures occurred during training and 7 during racing; 4 fractures had palmar comminution. No surgical complications occurred. Of 15 horses that returned to training, 11 (73%) raced 306±67 days after injury and had greater mean (±SD) post‐injury earnings/start ($5290.00±$8124.00) than pre‐injury ($4971.00±$2842.00). Screw removal was not required in any horse. Conclusion— The AE screw is a viable option for repair of nondisplaced lateral condylar MC/MT3 fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses. Clinical Relevance— Adequate stability of nondisplaced lateral condylar fractures can be achieved with a headless tapered compression screw while avoiding impingement on the collateral ligaments and joint capsule of the fetlock joint.