|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 410
| My horse fractured his splint bone in a rear leg. It's the distal part of the bone and at first the vet said surgery to take it out is the only option now I called back because I had more questions but now the vet is saying surgery probably isn't the best option. Everything I can find says do not leave them in they cause scar tissue and more problems. Ugh so frustrated. Any advice? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | get two more opinions maybe one from where they do surgeries. Surgeons sometimes have different opinions than vet that doesn't do surgery. If you think Surgeon will say surgery just to do then get another one from a different surgeon if they match might be the best bet. |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Is it a high fracture or a low, what type of fracture, a spiral, crush or a slab?
How old is the fracture?
My horses like fracturing splints out in the field or at the trainers, everywhere except the barrel pen.
Have a slab fracture that went unrecognized at the trainers, horse wasn't tender or lame on it, it was a high fracture. Since it had occurred more then 3 week and hadn't begun to heal we pinned it, a week later still no healing so we injected stem cells into it. Healed in 4 weeks and is ready to leg up.
Have one who got his leg caught in a fence at a different trainers crushed the medial hind splint (very long story on this guy) vet seen him 5 weeks post injury vet initially was going to remove splint then decided to drill holes into cannon and allow bone marrow to seep out. 6 weeks later he is now sound and can resume training.
Have had a few others that looked to the naked eye as a popped splint when actually it was a fracture injected stem cells in cannot tell they had fractured the splint radiographically now.
It all depends on location, type of fracture, and duration of fracture before treatment.
I have yet to have one removed, and absolutely no scar tissue or bony abnormality now
|
|
| |
|
 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
 
| I have a mare that fractured one and broke one. The fractured one healed on its own in time. The broken one became infected and had to be removed. Neither one caused her problems after they healed. |
|
| |
|
| My barrel horse broke his splint bone in his hind leg also, we left the broken piece in and a few months later had to go back in and remove it due to scar tissue irritating him. After removing it he went back to running and was fine! |
|
| |
Fractured splint bone