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Discussion on Fractured Withers
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New Member:
stepht
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Posted on Monday, Jul 8, 2013 - 2:49 pm:
Hi Doctor! My horse flipped over backwards and landed on his back resulting in fractures of what seems to be the T4-7. I have attached a radiograph of T2-6. In your opinion, what is the healing time and prognosis? He is used for dressage and eventing.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 9, 2013 - 7:49 am:
Welcome Stephanie,
Unfortunately you cannot make predictions from the above image because of two unknowns. The first is the lateral relationship of the fractured pieces. Though there is minimal displacement in the above images we are only seeing one plane. In the unobserved planes are the bones as well aligned. The other problem is I cannot see the amount of soft tissue damage that may complicate healing.
If we assume the best (stable fracture fragments, minimal displacement in the other planes, and minimal soft tissue damage) fractured bones usually become stable in 48 days. However in one report healing took much longer:
Can Vet J. 2012 Mar;53(3):279-82.
Healing of multiple fractured thoracic dorsal spinous processes in a Quarter horse.
Molnar R, Barber SM, Pharr JW, Panizzi L, Plaxton A.
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4. rebeccahmolnar@yahoo.ca
A Quarter horse gelding sustained fracture and displacement of spinous processes T2-T10. Radiographic evidence of healing was seen 3 mo following injury, and at 2 years post-injury all spinous processes had healed and undergone partial re-alignment. This re-alignment has not been reported before.
DrO
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