Treatment of a chronic comminuted fracture of the fibula in a horse.

A four-year-old Standardbred gelding was examined because of vague right hind limb lameness of 3 to 4 months' duration. Results of physical examination, radiography, and scintigraphy were indicative of a chronic comminuted fracture of the proximal portion of the right fibula. A cancellous bone graft was placed in the fracture site, and 3 months later, the fracture appeared to be healed radiographically. Fractures of the fibula are rare in horses and should not be confused with normal anatomic discontinuities that result in a bi- or tripartite appearance of the fibula on radiographs. Because the fibula is a non-weight-bearing bone in horses, lameness associated with fibular fractures may be vague.

Clinical experience with quantitative analysis of superficial digital flexor tendon injuries in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses.

A method to quantitate as well as to document SDFT pathology has been described. This report indicates that computer-assisted evaluation of SDFT damage can improve the accuracy of prognosis in clinical practice. It would appear that a 3.8 severity rating is a limit past which prognosis for successful racing starts to worsen rapidly.

Diagnostic ultrasonography of equine limbs.

In our 3 years of clinical experience, we have found that diagnostic ultrasound provides the veterinarian with a valuable diagnostic tool. It allows the clinician to quantify morphologic change that has occurred as a result of soft-tissue injuries, even when the clinical findings are ambiguous or insufficient. In cases in which aggressive postinjury therapy has been instituted prior to presentation, diagnostic ultrasound is often the only noninvasive method that can ascertain the extent of the horse's injury. Diagnostic ultrasound provides the technology to detect injuries before they become permanently debilitating, because lesions as small as 1 mm in diameter can be detected. Prior to diagnostic ultrasound, the severity of many injuries was underestimated. In such cases, if the horse responded favorably to symptomatic therapy, the client would resume training. The result was often debilitation. Diagnostic ultrasound also enables the clinician to demonstrate visually to the client the location, size, and extent of lesions in the limb. One of the more gratifying effects of a sonographic study is the client's acceptance of the presence and extent of the injury after visualizing it. We have found that the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" is generally the rule in obtaining the proper course of therapy for the horse. The ability to make hard copies of sonograms enables the clinician to morphologically evaluate the rate of healing. He can accurately determine the effectiveness of a therapeutic regimen and ascertain when optimal healing has occurred. Diagnostic ultrasound can provide the researcher with an invaluable tool to document and quantify soft-tissue disease. We anticipate that, in the future, the sonographic appearance of recovered tissues will be correlated with new data on the healing process and the effectiveness of various therapies. The material presented above has covered the value of diagnostic ultrasound in major clinical situations related to equine lameness. Other applications, the discussion of which is beyond the scope of this article, include evaluation of the pastern for injuries to the SDF, DDF, and oblique sesamoidean ligament, and evaluation of the navicular bursae. Examination of muscles for hematomas, abscessations, and tears has also been accomplished ultrasonographically. Diagnostic ultrasound has facilitated study of the trochanteric and bicipital bursae, blood flow through arteries, and structures above the carpus and hock. Obviously, the clinical potential of diagnostic ultrasound is limitless.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)