Hind outer distal splint fracture 3 months on- still swelling?

[ohmissbrittany]

Like the title said... my showjumper was kicked and suffered a fracture to MT4 back in September. It was the distal end, non-displaced, closed fracture... so if it had to happen, best possible place and type. She had radiographs the day of, vet-applied pressure bandage, did her time on box rest and had an ultrasound before resuming work. Vet said it was healing nicely, there didn't appear to be suspensory damage, etc.

So we did two weeks hand walking and I've been riding lightly and working in-hand the last 4 weeks, just started to canter a bit the past two days- always big loopy circles and straightaways. She was being a bit nappy yesterday (she's gotten VERY herd sour with the lack of work) so I ended up doing probably more than I would have if she had behaved. This morning, the leg is a little swollen from the site of the fracture and lower. No obvious lameness... would you ice that, wrap it, or anything? Maybe I'm just looking for reassurance that maybe we over-did it and try not to do it again. I feel really horrible about it and of course my brain goes right to "well maybe this is the end of her competitive career after all...."

 

[milliepops]

My mare did a good job on a hind splint bone a few years ago, it was like a spiral fracture all the way down but it was stable so we left it there and managed conservatively.
From what I remember it did swell a little from time to time, and took quite some months before the bone remodelled and the giant lump that developed disappeared. She did it 3 years ago and the leg looks normal now.

However, my rehab plan was much slower, from what I remember we just had loads of hacking for the first 8-10 weeks and then back into the school.
Can't go wrong with cold hosing if you have some inflammation, so I'd do that and then give the vet a call to have a chat about it just in case. Is she back to full turnout or still restricted?

FWIW mine returned to full work without any issue on that leg (the less said about the other 3 legs the better, however )

 

[ohmissbrittany]

My mare did a good job on a hind splint bone a few years ago, it was like a spiral fracture all the way down but it was stable so we left it there and managed conservatively.
From what I remember it did swell a little from time to time, and took quite some months before the bone remodelled and the giant lump that developed disappeared. She did it 3 years ago and the leg looks normal now.

However, my rehab plan was much slower, from what I remember we just had loads of hacking for the first 8-10 weeks and then back into the school.

I think you're probably right... maybe it was just going so well I rushed it a little. I'm actually really impressed with how the bone callus remodeled back to nearly nothing (it looked like someone had taped half a lime to her leg at first! But it was also a single, very tidy fracture- the vet wasn't even bothered about radiographing at first but I know her well enough to know that even a lack of lameness doesn't mean she's okay.)

She is back on full turnout with vet's blessing and is a high energy type, so she bombs around sometimes especially when neighbors hack up the lane and their horses whinny to say hello- no swelling from any of that nonsense. Thank you for putting it in perspective back to hacking with us.