Thoroughbred Fractures – Bone Injuries Reviewed

By Author: Lee Lane-Edgar
Total Articles: 365
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Thoroughbred management and care is a different challenge altogether and it doesn’t come without years of experience and dedication that trainers and owners put into for their thoroughbreds’ wellbeing. Health ailments are common in almost all subjects that have life. Horses too, just like us, are impacted by professional hazards primarily those that affect their bones, since their legs form the most integral role-player in their performance on the racing tracks.
Bone fractures are fairly common in horses and they can happen almost anytime if the tolerance of their legs is stretched beyond their capacity. Horses’ body weights usually range to more than seven times the average human body weight and during a full gallop the horse lays down its weight one leg at a time causing the legs to experience extreme weight and speed. This often results in fractures of different kinds, ranging from their hoof to upper leg bones.
Fractures have been categorized into different forms and each one causes a different kind of bone breakage. Such as, a complete fracture causes the bone to break completely, however, if the bone ...
... is partially attached, its called an incomplete fracture. When the fracture is out of the skin and is visible, it forms an open fracture while one that is still beneath the skin is a closed fracture. Similarly, when fracture causes the bones to get displaced, it forms a displaced fracture; otherwise one that keeps the bone in place with the breakage line running through it is called a non-displaced fracture. Simple fractures break the bone apart in two pieces while comminute fractures are formed when bones are broken down into smaller pieces.
Fractures in horses are defined under categories like condylar, sesamoid, quarter cracks, slab fracture and bone chips.
Condylar Fractures – The condyles or the knuckles at the end of long bones in horses may crack due to excessive stress from racing or workouts. This fracture may or may not spread throughout the longer bones but that depends upon the extent of injury sustained. Usually the ligaments hold the bones in place and avoid a displaced fracture but when the injury is serious, the lameness or inflammation exhibits symptoms of fracture.
Sesamoid Fractures – Sesamoid bones are highly delicate bones situated in suspension held only by the ligaments at the back of the fetlock. These contribute to the fetlock as pulleys and injury contracted to sesamoids is injury to the horse’s body’s overall suspension. These are treatable but the horses may have a tendency to contract them over and over again if they are made to race heavily or more frequently.
Knee Fractures – These are comprised of bone chips, slab fractures and sagittal fractures. In simple words, when the carpal bones at the horse’s knee either fractures and gets sandwiched into the joint and interfere with the knee’s mobility, they form a fracture. It depends on the part of the carpal bone that breaks that categorizes it as one of the above mentioned fractures. These are again treatable through surgery but the bones that become sensitive and injured may contract similar fractures due to racing routines.
Horse racing is a sport lined with injuries on one hand and exceptional sight of endurance and stamina to relish on the other. Proper shoeing of the horses and their racing workouts, regular checkups and even the racing surfaces are highly decisive factors contributing to their bone health.
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