Bone Chip left after surgery

[evehealion]

Hi, looking for some advice - very confused. Have v good 7yr old event gelding, did 6 novice in 1st season!! Also managed to chip his fetlock joint and break his lower medial splint when in the field!! All happened 4mths ago, had surgery to remove chips and take out splint, told was successful, 8wks box rest, then more xrays, then another 8 wks box rest then last Sat went up for more xrays and found bone fragment along canon bone. Does swell here after light lunging. Vet told me best not to operate and to bandage etc and to try and maintain. However, I am not so sure as I don't want this to affect his future eventing career. Does anyone have any advice? I understand that further surgery will cost money and take more time, but I want the best for my horse, don't want my horse going lame during the season if it can be helped or damaging the tendons ligaments? Don't know if the vet is taking the easy way out? Please give advice, has anything like this happened to anyone else?

 

[Klaudette]

Go to another vet for a second opinion. It is your right as an owner to have a second opinion. Was your boy treated by an equine orthopaedic surgeon?
Your horse is obviuosly very valuable to you and your concerns are perfectly justified.
Good luck.

 

[brightmount]

A horse of mine had a bone chip after a kick to the stifle. I was told at the time that bone chips tend to dissolve over time, but in our case he had to have the joint flushed at Rossdales as he developed an infection. Does your vet think the bone chip will be reabsorbed eventually? If not I don't think I would like to leave it personally.

 

[henryhorn]

Sometimes they work their way out to the surface over time, we had one mare who fractured her splint bone and I was poulticing shards of it for up to three months afterwards.
I would have thought if it wasn't causing any problem leave it alone and wait and see, but if it's causing swelling it sounds like it may have to come out, but that's a big risk again with the op and possible infection.
If it were me I would wait and see for at least another two months, it's still only 16 weeks ago and one of ours took 18 months to go completely sound after a flushing procedure.
I know that isn't what you want to hear but the other alternative is go and get a second opinion on the X rays, you should have no problem getting them as they are yours not the vets, or they will post them to your second chap.
I woud think it's too early to tell what the end result of the injury will be...

 

[alisonpook]

Not quite the same thing but I had a horse come in from the field with a small wound to his shoulder which needed several stitches. A few days later the area around the wound began to swell and after a week the stitches had to be cut and an abcess drained. It was just a small cut on the surface but tracked back a fair way with a fair amount of pus being released. The cut still failed to heal 100% and eventually after a few months a small bone chip appeared at the surface. We felt this had been the problem . However a few months later the shoulder swelled again and another small chip surfaced and this time he was operated on - the vets were surprised to find the wound tracked right back to the flat bed of the shoulder blade - not the spiny ridge as they expected - but no other bits of bone were found . About a year later the shoulder swelled again and an abcess formed. The abcess was opened and a small piece of bone was found lurking just under the skin. This was removed and the shoulder finally healed. The bone chip had been floating around for over a year had eventually worked its way out from several inches below the surface. It caused some scar tissue as it worked its way around. I think for piece of mind and especially where a leg was involved a second opinion would be reassuring.

 

[eventingdiva]

An advanced event horse i help look after went lame 2 days before he was due to go to blenheim last year, and his knee was operated on to remove a bit of bone that had chipped off. This was successflu but when x-rayed again found another bit of bone 'floating'. Vet said not to operate again and when leg was x-rayed again the bit of bone appears to have reattached itself or dissolved. Horse has been back in work a while now and is sound, and will hopefully event again.
I dont think your vet is necessarily taking the easy way out, however it may be worth getting a second opinion. Suppose it may depend on how big the fragment of bone is, and the exact positioning? Good luck x

 

[Louby]

My boy fractured his radius 13 weeks ago and theres multiple small fragments which on xray have already started to dissapear. There is also a larger chip near the fracture which my vet is debating whether to take out. He is concerned as it is near his carpal sheath and theres a risk this could become infected if he tries to remove it but on the other hand the chip may cause lameness now or in the future or infection as other people have experienced. Leahurst have advised to leave it in so we have decided that when the time comes to see if hes sound then if he isnt it will have to come out but if he is sound we are going to be leaving it well alone. If it rears its ugly head in the future then we will have to deal with it then. Im concerned as theres a soft lump over the chip and its warm but then I suppose this could be part of the healing process as it is near the original fracture.

 

[Stinkbomb]

My horse Simon had a broken splintered rib, and bone fragments splinter off his Tempero mandibular joint. Both became quickly infected due to the floating bone fragments and he had to have major surgery to both sites at Leahurst (major piggybank emptier) If there are broken fragments the vets told me the act as foreign bodies and they needed to be scrapped out. It was only after surgery to remove the fragment the infection stopped and the wounds healed. If they are not causing any problems and the vets seem to think its best left maybe you should see how it goes. Simons was only a problem because the injuries wouldnt heal.

 

[evehealion]

Thanks a million for reply. Think a second opinion will help my head out at least!!! Will keep you posted!!

 

[evehealion]

Thanks for reply, makes it look a bit brighter!! Hopefully all will come well, am going to keep a close eye on it and prob get a second opinion to put my mind at rest! Thanks again