Introduction

• Relatively common physeal injury in foals.
• Cause: internal stress - lateral to medial bending; external trauma - mare standing on distal limb, direct kick   →   usually Salter-Harris Type II fracture.
• Signs: acute lameness   Musculoskeletal: gait evaluation  ; no disruption of overlying skin; minimal associated soft tissue swelling.
• Diagnosis: radiography   Hindlimb: radiography  .
• Treatment: confinement; internal fixation.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

• Foal attempts to stand with upper limb trapped.
• Mare stands on distal limb.
• Direct trauma to physis.

Pathophysiology

• Lateral to medial bending   →   fracture line opens on medial side   →   tracks laterally then deviates through the metaphysis to create a lateral metaphyseal fragment.

• Lateral to medial bending   →   fracture line opens on medial side   →   tracks laterally then deviates through the metaphysis to create a triangular fragment attached to lateral physis and epiphysis.
• Fracture line courses through proliferating chondrocytes in physis   →   continued weightbearing   →   physeal cartilage damage   →   premature physeal closure.
• This is a more significant problem in older foals.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Outcomes