Catastrophic, bilateral pelvic fracture in a two-year-old thoroughbred racehorse
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29155/VET.62.225.5Keywords:
Horse, Ilium fracture, Stress fracture, UltrasonographyAbstract
A catastrophic bilateral fracture of the pelvis in a two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse is described. The event occurred 300 meters after starting the race. The filly suddenly stopped running and presented with non-weight bearing left hindlimb lameness. Ultrasonographic examination showed a bilateral displaced fracture on the wing and body of the ilium, which extended to the sacrum. An irregular contour and thickened surface of the ilium was suggestive of periosteal callus. Bilateral and complete fracture of the ilium was confirmed by necropsy and post mortem radiography. Histopathology showed bone changes compatible with bilateral stress fractures; the complete fractures having spread from a pre-existing microdamage injury.
Downloads
References
Aleman, M., Davis, E., Williams, D. C., Madigan, J. E., Smith, F., & Guedes, A. (2015). Electrophysiologic study of a method of euthanasia using intrathecal lidocaine hydrochloride administered during intravenous anesthesia in horses. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 29(6), 1676-1682. https://doi.org/10.1111/JVIM.13607
Almanza, A., & Whitcomb, M. B. (2003). Ultrasonographic diagnosis of pelvic fractures in 28 horses. En Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 49, pp. 50-54). AAEP. https://www.ivis.org/library/aaep/aaep-annual-convention-new-orleans-2003/ultrasonographic-diagnosis-of-pelvic-fractures-28-horses
Anthenill, L. A., Stover, S. M., Gardner, I. A., & Hill, A. E. (2007). Risk factors for proximal sesamoid bone associated with exercise history and horseshoe characteristics in Thoroughbred racehorses. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 68(7), 760-771. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.68.7.760
Bennell, K. L., Malcolm, S. A., Thomas, S. A., Reid, S. J., Brukner, P. D., Ebeling, P. R., & Wark, J. D. (1996). Risk factors for stress fractures in track and field athletes: a twelve-month prospective study. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 24(6), 810-818. https://doi.org/10.1177/036354659602400617
Bergman, E. H., Puchalski, S. M., & Denoix, J. M. (2013). How to perform a transrectal ultrasound examination of the lumbosacral and sacroiliac joints. En Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 59, pp. 229-237). AAEP. https://www.ivis.org/library/aaep/aaep-annual-convention-nashville-2013/how-to-perform-a-transrectal-ultrasound-examination-of-lumbosacral-and-sacroiliac-joints
Bianchi, S. (2020). Ultrasound and bone: A pictorial review. Journal of Ultrasound, 23(3), 227-257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-020-00477-4
Bimson, N. H., Morrice-West, A. V., Wong, A. S. M., Hitchens, P. L., Rocca, M. R., & Whitton, R. C. (2022). Catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses in Uruguay, 2011-2017. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 117, 104074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104074
Carrier, T. K., Stover, S. M., Gardner, I. A., Johnson, B. J., Read, D. H., & Ardans, A. A. (1998). Association between long periods without high-speed workouts and risk of complete humeral or pelvic fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses: 54 cases (1991-1994). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 212(10), 1582-1587. https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/212/10/javma.1998.212.10.1582.xml?tab_body=pdf
Fukushima, Y., Ray, J., Kraus, E., Syrop, I. P., & Fredericson, M. (2018). A review and proposed rationale for the use of ultrasonography as a diagnostic modality in the identification of bone stress injuries. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, 37(10), 2297-2307. https://doi.org/10.1002/jum.14588
Goodrich, L. R., Werpy, N. M., & Armentrout, A. (2006). How to ultrasound the normal pelvis for aiding diagnosis of pelvic fractures using rectal and transcutaneous ultrasound examination. En Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 52, pp. 609-611). AAEP. https://www.ivis.org/library/aaep/aaep-annual-convention-san-antonio-2006/how-to-ultrasound-normal-pelvis-for-aiding-diagnosis-of-pelvic-fractures-using-rectal-and
Haussler, K. K., Stover, S. M., & Wheat, J. D. (1998). Stress fractures of the vertebral lamina and pelvis in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 30(5), 374-381. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1998.tb04504.x
Johnson, B. J., Stover, S. M., Daft, B. M., Kinde, H., Read, D. H., Barr, B. C., Anderson, M., Moore, J., Woods, L., Stoltz, J., & Blanchard, P. (1994). Causes of death in racehorses over a 2-year period. Equine Veterinary Journal, 26(4), 327-330. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04395.x
Kiuru, M. J., Pihlajamäki, H. K., & Ahovuo, J. A. (2004). Bone stress injuries. Acta Radiologica, 45(3), 317-326. https://doi.org/10.1080/02841850410004
Martin, R. B., Burr, D. B., Sharkey, N. A., & Fyhrie, D. P. (2015). Fatigue and fracture resistance of bone. En R. B. Martin, D. B. Burr, N. A. Sharkey & D. P. Fyhrie (Eds.), Skeletal tissue mechanics (pp. 423-482). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3002-9_8
Moiroud, C. H., Coudry, V., & Denoix, J. M. (2019). Distribution of pelvic fractures in racing and non-racing sport horses: A retrospective study of 86 cases examined in a referral centre. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 32(3), 215-221. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1683403
O’Sullivan, C. B., & Lumsden, J. M. (2000). Stress fractures of the tibia and humerus in 99 Thoroughbred racehorses. En Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 46, pp. 378-379). AAEP.
Pilsworth, R. C., Shepherd, M. C., Herinckx, B. M. B., & Holmes, M. A. (1994). Fracture of the wing of the ilium, adjacent to the sacroiliac joint, in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 26(2), 94-99. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04343.x
Puccetti, M., Beccati, F., & Denoix, J. M. (2022). Bone stress injuries and fatigue fractures of the pelvis in endurance horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 54(6), 1064-1075. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13536
Rocca, R., & Dutra, F. (2018). Programa de estudio de fracturas catastróficas en el Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas, Uruguay. Casuística y presentación de casos (2012-2018). 11.a Reunión Argentina de Patología Veterinaria, 12.º Seminario de la Fundación C.L. Davis - S.W. Thompson, La Plata, Argentina. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326988226_FRACTURAS_CATASTROFICAS_EN_EL_HIPODROMO_NACIONAL_DE_MARONAS_URUGUAY_CASUISTICA_Y_PRESENTACION_DE_CASOS_2012-2018?channel=doi&linkId=5b70f3b9a6fdcc87df733a72&showFulltext=true
Rosanowski, S. M., Chang, Y. M., Stirk, A. J., & Verheyen, K. L. P. (2017). Descriptive epidemiology of veterinary events in flat racing Thoroughbreds in Great Britain (2000 to 2013). Equine Veterinary Journal, 49(3), 275-281. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12592
Ross, M. W., & Dyson, S. J. (2011). Diagnosis and management of lameness in the horse (2nd ed.). Elsevier Saunders. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/edited-volume/9781416060697/diagnosis-and-management-of-lameness-in-the-horse
Samol, M. A., Uzal, F. A., Hill, A. E., Arthur, R. M., & Stover, S. M. (2021). Characteristics of complete tibial fractures in California racehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 53(5), 911-922. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13375
Sarrafian, T. L., Case, J. T., Kinde, H., Daft, B. M., Read, D. H., Moore, J. D., Uzal, F. A., & Stover, S. M. (2012). Fatal musculoskeletal injuries of Quarter Horse racehorses: 314 cases (1990–2007). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 241(7), 935-942. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.241.7.935
Shepherd, M. C., & Pilsworth, R. C. (1994). The use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pelvic fractures. Equine Veterinary Education, 6(4), 223-227.
Stover, S. M. (2013). Diagnostic workup of upper-limb stress fractures and proximal sesamoid bone stress remodeling. En Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 59, pp. 427-435). AAEP. https://www.ivis.org/library/aaep/aaep-annual-convention-nashville-2013/diagnostic-workup-of-upper-limb-stress-fractures-and-proximal-sesamoid-bone-stress-remodeling
Stover, S. M., Johnson, B. J., Daft, B. M., Read, D. H., Anderson, M., Barr, B. C., Kinde, H., Moore, J., Stoltz, J., Ardans, A. A., & Pool, R. R. (1992). An association between complete and incomplete stress fractures of the humerus in racehorses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 24(4), 260-263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1992.tb02831.x
Stover, S. M., & Murray, A. (2008). The California postmortem program: Leading the way. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice, 24(1), 21-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2007.11.009
Worden, P., Peloso, J., & Legg, R. (2013). How to radiograph and diagnose fractures of the tibia in the field. En Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (Vol. 59, pp. 403-409). AAEP. https://www.ivis.org/library/aaep/aaep-annual-convention-nashville-2013/how-to-radiograph-and-diagnose-fractures-of-tibia-field
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sociedad de Medicina Veterinaria del Uruguay-Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
