Surgical Treatment of Olecranon Fracture in the Standing Sedated Horse: Five Cases

Case Report: Plate fixation is the standard for repair of most olecranon fractures, typically performed under general anesthesia. Recovery from anesthesia presents a risk of implant failure. This report details five cases of olecranon fracture with surgical treatment in the standing sedated horse. Four horses aged 2 to 22 years underwent locking compression plate fixation and one underwent fragment removal. Two horses had type V fractures, one had a type IV and one type III, the fragment from a type 1b fracture was removed. Anesthesia was achieved by injection of mepivacaine into the proposed incision. Surgery was performed routinely. Technical difficulties included: ensuring the incision was positioned sufficiently lateral so the drill did not press against the thorax, horse reaction as the drill contacted the caudal radius, achieving proximal positioning of the plate, penetration of screws through the medial cortex. Surgical site infection (SSI) occurred in two cases. In one horse the plate was removed at 5 months, the second case is still managed with topical antimicrobials. Three cases had radiographic healing and returned to ridden exercise. One has delayed healing associated with surgical site infection. The horse treated by fragment removal resumed comfortable paddock retirement Plate fixation of olecranon fractures can be successfully performed in the standing horse, avoiding the risk of GA. Horses with more distal fractures (type V) and with limited displacement are ideal candidates. The outcome was good with 80% of horses returning to original use.

Surgical site infection resulted in two (40%) of horses.

Acknowledgments: There was no proprietary interest or funding provided for this project.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
11. September 2023