Outcome and racing performance following standing fracture repair in 245 horses

• Published in: Equine veterinary journal 2024-09, Vol.56 (5), p.914-923
• Main Authors: Colgate, Victoria A., Robinson, Natalie, Barnett, Timothy P., Bathe, Andrew P., Coleridge, Matthew O. D., Smith, Lewis C. R., Payne, Richard J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anesthesia; Animals; Cohort Studies; condylar; confidence interval; Female; fissure; fracture; Fractures, Bone - surgery; Fractures, Bone - veterinary; horse; Horse Diseases - surgery; Horses; Horses - injuries; hospitals; Male; metacarpus; phalangeal; Retrospective Studies; sedation; Sports; standing repair; Surgery; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0425-1644; 2042-3306; 2042-3306
• DOI: 10.1111/evj.14016

Background Repair of sagittal proximal phalanx (P1) and parasagittal metacarpal/metatarsal III (MC/MTIII) fractures has evolved over recent decades from a procedure carried out solely under general anaesthesia, to one commonly performed under standing sedation. To date, standing fracture repair has not been evaluated for large cohorts. Objectives To determine short‐term (survival to discharge) and long‐term (return to racing) outcomes of horses undergoing standing repair of MC/MTIII and P1 fractures, and to compare pre‐surgical and post‐surgical racing performance. Study design Single‐centre retrospective cohort study. Methods Retrospective clinical record review of 245 cases undergoing standing repair of MC/MTIII or P1 fractures, 1 January 2007–30 June 2021. Data on signalment, fracture configuration and complications were collected and full race records were retrieved from the Racing Post Database (wwww.racingpost.com). Chi‐squared and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to determine any difference in variables between horses that raced after surgery compared to those that did not. McNemar change and Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests were used to compare pre‐ and post‐surgical racing performance, p ≤ 0.05. Results Ninety‐eight percent [95% confidence interval (CI): 96.2%–99.7%] of horses survived hospital discharge, and 75.1% (95% CI: 68.9%–81.4%) raced after surgery, a median of 241 days later. Horses that raced post‐surgery were significantly less likely to have suffered from complications during hospitalisation than those that did not race again [17.3% (95% CI: 11%–24%) vs. 36.5% (95% CI: 23%–50%), p = 0.005]. Comparing pre‐ and post‐operative racing performance, there was no significant difference in earnings per start [median £628.00, interquartile range (IQR) 115.90–1934.80 vs. £653.20, 51.00–1886.40, p = 0.7] or proportion of horses winning [51% (95% CI: 41%–61%) vs. 54% (95% CI: 44%–64%), p = 0.8] or being placed first–third [77% (95% CI: 68%–85%) vs. 71% (95% CI: 62%–80%, p = 0.5] in at least one race. Main limitations Retrospective nature of study with reliance on clinical records and public databases, limiting data available for analysis. Conclusions Standing fracture repair is a viable treatment option for MC/MTIII or P1 fractures that returns horses to the racetrack within an acceptable time frame and is capable of restoring pre‐surgical athletic ability.