Short- and long-term survival, complications, return to racing, and racing performance of 150 racehorses with medial condylar fractures of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bone treated by internal fixation (2000-2020).

OBJECTIVE

To report the rate of survival, rate of return to racing, and quality of racing performance following surgical fixation of medial condylar fractures.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

ANIMALS: A total of 150 Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses surgically treated for medial condylar fracture (100 lag screw fixation, 50 plate fixation).

METHODS

Medical records, radiographs, and racing databases (2000-2020) were reviewed to collect signalment, fracture characteristics, fixation methods, survival rate, and complication rate. Change in racing performance was assessed using Wilcoxon rank sum tests.

RESULTS

The short-term survival, long-term survival, and complication rates were 98.7% (148/150), 93.3% (140/150), 12.0% (18/150), respectively. Four horses died of fatal complications, four died from unknown causes, and two were lost to follow up. The prognosis for returning to racing was 71.3% (107/150) (80/100, 80.0% for lag screw fixation; 27/39, 69.2% for plate fixation with plate removal). Post-injury total number of races increased (lag screw fixation) (p < .001) or did not change (plate fixation) (p = .320); post-injury total earnings, average earnings/race, and average speed figure did not change for either fixation type. Additionally, 78.0% of horses increased or maintained their highest race class. Horses with spiral fractures were less likely to return to racing than those with sagittal fractures.

CONCLUSION

Survival rate was excellent and the rate of returning to racing was favorable, with no decline in performance following injury.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Owners can expect horses to return to racing in most cases and perform as successfully as they did prior to fracture.