Surgical treatment of a complicated distal tibia epiphyseal Salter–Harris type I fracture in a yearling

A C Noguera Cender,K Mählmann,C J Lischer

doi:10.1111/eve.13238

A C Noguera Cender, K Mählmann + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.13238

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Journal: Equine Veterinary Education	Publication Date: Dec 26, 2019
Citations: 1	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Freie Universität Berlin

Abstract

SummaryThis article describes the management of a complicated distal epiphyseal Salter–Harris type I fracture of the left tibia in a yearling horse. Closed reduction and internal fixation was attempted in the first surgery using tension band wires. Due to fracture instability 2 weeks after surgery, a full‐limb transfixation pin cast was applied to the tibia and maintained for 7 weeks to prevent further fracture displacement and to achieve axial alignment. The full‐limb cast was maintained for a total of 12 weeks, including the time with the transfixation pin cast. Cast sores and tendon laxity resolved without further complications. Ten months after the first surgery, the fracture had radiographically healed, and the horse was sound at the walk and trot in a straight line.

Highlights

Physeal fractures of the tibia account for 10% of all physeal fractures in the horse (Embertson et al 1986)
We describe the treatment of an American Paint Horse yearling that presented at our clinic with a distal physeal fracture of the tibia
We proposed as general configuration a complicated Salter–Harris type I fracture of the distal tibia, even though the fracture had characteristics of a Salter– Harris type III, since there is a fracture line entering the articular surface of the tarsocrural joint at the level of the lateral trochlear groove of the tibia

Summary

This article describes the management of a complicated distal epiphyseal Salter–Harris type I fracture of the left tibia in a yearling horse. Closed reduction and internal fixation was attempted in the first surgery using tension band wires. Due to fracture instability 2 weeks after surgery, a full-limb transfixation pin cast was applied to the tibia and maintained for 7 weeks to prevent further fracture displacement and to achieve axial alignment. The full-limb cast was maintained for a total of 12 weeks, including the time with the transfixation pin cast. Cast sores and tendon laxity resolved without further complications. Ten months after the first surgery, the fracture had radiographically healed, and the horse was sound at the walk and trot in a straight line

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