Fractured sesamoid bone.

[Htxx2]

Has anyone got any successful story’s of a fractured sesamoid bone. My horse has fractured her splint bone but vet found she’s also got a fractured sesamoid bone but she’s not lame…. She was kicked in the feild by another horse with shoes. She was lame and swollen the day after but only for 2 days, after that she’s weight baring and sound in walk and trot up.
I’ve lost a bit of faith in my Vet, as he is convinced it’s an old fracture as he says they are normally crippled with a fracture there she was buckling when turning on that leg for 2 days but now she’s fine.
be honest it does look like a tiny corner of the sesamoid bone But I’m no Vet so I can’t say how much pain that would usually cause. He said she’s probably done it as a foal and it healed well.
I know my horse and I’ve had her since she was 4 she’s 14 nowshe’s never had a lame step since I’ve had her.
In 2019 she had a bone scan Not because she was lame but she was just very lethargic I didn’t know whether it was something to do with her SI joint (turns out it wasn’t it was just her asthma was particularly bad that year) No fracture was ever noted when she had that bone scan so I know it’s not an old injury. Plus she’s got a flesh wound where she was kicked right above that fracture site as well as the one on her splint bone.
anyway he’s telling me to box rest her for 8 to 12 weeks which is fine but I am a little apprehensive as everything I have read about fractures to the sesamoid bone are not great and if they are treatable they usually have the fragment removed. I feel uneasy that he dismissed it as an old unjury… I know my horse and I know that’s not old.
anyway I got to be positive that she’s not lame at the moment. Still swollen but not lame.
just looking for any success stories….

 

[TheMule]

Bone scans only show active bone re-modeling an old, settled fracture would not have shown up.
Old fractures looks quite different to new ones- given the absence of severe lameness I'd be inclined to trust your vet

 

[TheHairyOne]

Mine was interesting. 3 legged lame day 1. 98% sound day 2. Stayed that way till day 5. Dog lame again and xrayed day 5. The bone chip was mobile.

3/4's of the bone as a basal fracture (the worst kind) but on a hind (better than the front) and caused by compression rather than the normal pull.

Surgery to remove the chip and tidy up any damage. 3 months boxed rest. Controlled (barely) return to work over 6 months. I was told could box rest the same length of time and see if it healed, but surgery was the route recommended so went ahead and did it. Apparently the other types (the top of the bone of a crack down the middle) are better outcomes - lots of race horses do it).

Pic about 2 years afterwards. Not given him any bother 6 years down the line!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I had one who fractured a sesamoid as a 2yo racing. It healed fine and he had no further issues in his life.

One at work had been on and off lame for a while. X-rayed from hoof to elbow twice showing up nothing. Ultrasound scanned twice as well and showed nothing. Eventually he spent 10 weeks on pen rest. Trotted up a lot sounder, still not 100% but 90% compared to what he has been at his worst. Went out into a bigger paddock, trotted down the hill like the donkey he was and boom. Nonweight bearing lame. His sesamoid had completely shattered. And that was that.

I would treat as a new fracture and box rest as it never does them any harm. To do so.