Cover Design: Wiley
For Alice, Grace and Gaynor
Preface
Fractures in the Horse was conceived in the hiatus between the first and second editions of Equine Fracture Repair in an attempt to fill the void and to provide a contemporaneous text. It was undertaken with the realization that it would represent a recorded time point in perceived knowledge. Authors were invited on a best available basis because of their collective experience, not simply to provide literature summaries. The discerning reader will recognize differing approaches and opinions: this is important. No chapter provides the definitive account on the subject; all continue to evolve. However, understanding the principles on which causation, diagnosis and management are made is critical. The book should also provide a source of references for those who wish to delve further into particular knowledge pools. It has been written in the hope that it will spawn subsequent editions which, in turn, will improve the care of horses with or at risk of fracture.
I am extremely grateful to the authors who gave their time, shared their knowledge and to varying degrees ignored, tolerated or responded to my attempts to motivate, cajole or beg into action.
The debts of gratitude to other who have led, taught, inspired and motivated me is long and while not exhaustive includes my parents, grandparents and extended family who worked tirelessly to provide an education and Trinity College, Cambridge, which opened my mind. Alasdair Steele‐Bodger, Donald Steven, Robert Walker and John Hickman gave early inspiration. Hugh Davies taught me much about people, horses and their complex inter‐relationships. John Houlton grafted in some surgical skills, Les Gray kept me grounded and Wayne McIlwraith introduced me to the wonderful world of arthroscopy. I have been blessed by working for great owners, trainers and referring veterinary surgeons; it would be invidious to name individuals, but I am particularly grateful to those who had faith in me in the early stages of my career. Colleagues at Newmarket Equine Hospital have supported, questioned and debated to good effect, while the imaging, anaesthesia and theatre teams have provided services that I have yet to see bettered. My cases have been cared for by dedicated stable staff and a stream of interns. Emma Yeates has juggled the book, PA duties and day‐to‐day running of the hospital for which there can never be sufficient thanks. Finally, nothing would have been possible without the love and support of Gaynor.
List of Contributors
J. A. Auer University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
T. P. Barnett Rossdales Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
L. R. Bramlage Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital Lexington KY USA
F. Corletto Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
J. Daglish Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
A. E. Fürst University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
K. G. Glass Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University College Station TX USA
A. E. Goodship Royal Veterinary College London UK
S. A. Johnson College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
C. E. Kawcak Veterinary Teaching Hospital Colorado State University Fort Collings CO USA
M. R. King College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
C. Klaus Freie Universität Berlin Germany
D. G. Levine School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA USA
C. Lischer Freie Universität Berlin Germany
K. Mählmann Freie Universität Berlin Germany
C. W. McIlwraith Colorado State University Fort Collings CO USA
G. J. Minshall Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
K. F. Ortved School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA USA
T. D. H. Parkin Bristol Veterinary School University of Bristol Bristol UK
R. J. Payne Rossdales Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
R. C. Pilsworth Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
S. M. Puchalski Puchalski Equine Inc Petaluma CA USA
J. L. Pye UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis CA USA
P. H. L. Ramzan Rossdales Equine Practice Newmarket UK
D. W. Richardson School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA USA
C. M. Riggs The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sha Tin Hong Kong
F. Rossignol Equine Clinic of Grosbois Boissy France
A. J. Ruggles Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital Lexington KY USA
M. R. W. Smith Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
S. M. Stover UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis CA USA
E. Vettorato Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
J. P. Watkins Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University College Station TX USA
I. M. Wright Newmarket Equine Hospital Newmarket UK
1 Introduction
I.M. Wright
Newmarket Equine Hospital, Newmarket, UK
Over the course of the last 50 years, the concept of fractures in horses has emerged from an association with inevitable euthanasia to an expectation, in many cases, for restoration of full athletic function. This has been the result of major developments in understanding pathogenesis, imaging, anaesthesia, internal fixation, pharmacology and minimally invasive surgical techniques. However, although previous progress was slow, there were inklings of latent knowledge. This should not be surprising: in 1722 W. Gibson [cited in 1] wrote, ‘As the general use and service of horses has rendered them more worth the notice and regard of mankind than any other of the brute creatures; so there has in most ages of the world been a more than ordinary care taken, not only to model and fit them for their respective services, but also of their breed and preservation.’
Historical Review
The following review makes no claim to be comprehensive but aims to be sufficiently representative to illustrate the temporal recognition, development of understanding, diagnosis and treatment of fractures in horses.
The Ancient World
Fractures have occurred in wild (non‐domesticated) animals throughout their evolution. It has been suggested that horses were initially domesticated in the late Neolithic period: first for food and later for transportation and war [2]. Domestication of Equidae introduced new environments and circumstances particularly as horses were used for work, often were ascribed special value (both economic and emotional) and played important cultural roles in human civilization. There is a dearth of documentation of equine fractures by the ancient Syrian, Egyptian, Persian and Greek civilizations,