Premium
Incidence, location and classification of 371 third carpal bone fractures in 313 horses
Author(s) -
SCHNEIDER R.K.,
BRAMLAGE L.R.,
GABEL A.A.,
BARONE L.M.,
KANTROWITZ B.M.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1988.tb04646.x
Subject(s) - medicine , facet (psychology) , sagittal plane , carpal bones , coronal plane , radiography , incidence (geometry) , horse , surgery , orthodontics , anatomy , mathematics , geometry , biology , psychology , social psychology , paleontology , personality , big five personality traits
Summary The medical records and radiographs of all horses with a third carpal bone fracture admitted to The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital from 1979 to 1987 were reviewed. Three hundred and seventy‐one fractures were found in 313 horses; 57 per cent were Standardbreds, 41 per cent were Thoroughbreds, and only 1.6 per cent were Quarterhorses. All were young racehorses (average age = 3.1 years). Third carpal fractures occurred more frequently in the right limb (60 per cent) than the left limb (40 per cent); Thoroughbreds had a greater right‐left disparity (67.5 per cent R, 27.1 per cent L). Fractures were classified according to their size and anatomical location within the third carpal bone: incomplete fractures of the radial facet (type 1, N = 39), large proximal chip fractures of the radial facet (type 2, N = 140), small proximal chip fractures of the radial facet (type 3, N = 18), medial corner fractures (type 4, N = 13), frontal plane slab fractures of the radial facet (type 5, N = 93), large frontal plane slab fractures involving both the radial and intermediate facets (type 6, N = 35), fractures of the intermediate facet (type 7 N = 13), and sagittal slab fractures (type 8, N = 20). The incidence of each fracture type was significantly different between Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. Type 1 and 2 fractures were more common in Standardbreds; type 5 and 6 fractures were more common in Thoroughbreds. Differences between these two breeds are related to the different gaits at which they race. The classification more accurately describes the extent of injury and the variation in fractures observed in this study than the traditional division as chips or slabs. A high quality skyline projection is important in correctly identifying these fractures; over 10 per cent of the fractures were detected only on this view.