b'STEP BY STEPrecommends sedating foals heavily and shipping them in recumbency (lying down) with their dams standing. At the HospitalOnce the horse has arrived at the hospital safely, the veterinary staff will evaluate him and make a plan to repair the limb. The veterinarian might perform additional diagnostics, such as another IMAGES COURTESY DR. LAURIE GOODRICHround of radiographs. Just because the fracture looked a certain way when it was sent (to the hospital) doesnt mean that its necessarily going to be unchanged after transpor-tation, says Richardson. Any type of complicated fracture that we can get a CT scan on, we will do that because that gives you a far superior ability to planLocking plates and screws allow surgeons to compress and stabilize fractures, improving horses the surgical procedure if you have three- prognoses signi\x05cantly.dimensional images.He adds that he doesnt find MRI asbones they couldnt previously. Theycan be added to bone cement and applied useful for assessing a fracture. can also maintain stability in the face ofnext to a fracture, allowing the drugs to Surgery often involves internal fixationinfection (e.g., with open fractures), saysreach effective levels at the fracture and with stainless steel screws and plates. Go- Goodrich, which has improved progno- implant sites. odrich says veterinarians recommend thisses. This is due to the mechanics lockingWhen it comes to healing, however, type of surgery for horses that are veryplates can maintain throughout woundRichardson says theres nothing better uncomfortable and/or have a fracture thatinfection treatment. than bone. Bone is the only thing in your is displaced or at risk of displacing. Advancements in treating infectedbody that truly heals, and bone almost al-She believes locking plates (in whichfractures, which she says compriseways ends up getting stronger over time, screws lock into the plates used to stabi- 20-30% of cases, have been huge. Onenot weaker, he says. So rehabilitation lize a fracture) have completely revolu- involves using a tourniquet that allowsin horses with fractures is almost always tionized fracture repair in horses by al- for intravenous (IV) antibiotic adminis- based on managing the other tissuesthe lowing surgeons to stabilize and maintaintration. In addition, she says, antibioticsmuscle, tendons, joints, ligamentsand then just keeping mobility in those structures, because the bone is going to heal.Dandy Products, Inc. Healing and Prognosis Padding & Flooring Specialists Bone healing in adult horses typically takes at least four months, Padding At Its Best whereas foals heal faster. Veterinar-ians might recommend rehabilitation Breeding Sheds, Stocks, Stalls, Trailers, Exercise & Training Areas, exercises (e.g., mobilization, swim-Induction & Recovery Rooms Table & Surgical Pads, ming, water treadmills) to restore Neo-Natal Foal Beds mobility to joints and rebuild muscle Non-Slip Safety Floors for All Areas function. Pavesafe Bricks & Tiles, Trac-Roll & Vet-Trac Floors, Some equine limb fractures have Wash Stall,Grooming, Aisleway and Trailer Mats better outcomes than others. Progno-sis can depend on many factors, says Toll-Free 888.883.8386513.625.3000 Richardson, including the horses ex-FAX 513.625.2600 pected use, age, size, whether the frac-ture restricts mobility, if the fracture is displaced, etc. One of the biggest factors affecting prognosis, however, is the fractures location.3314 State Route 131, Goshen, Ohio 45122www.dandyproducts.net Fractures that typically have good prognoses include:32September 2019The Horse | TheHorse.com'