Balance between training and cumulative injury

Fatigue injuries to the osseous skeleton are a major cause of injury in horses used for fast galloping disciplines. In particular, in the racing Thoroughbred, such injuries are a leading cause of both days lost to training, premature retirement and catastrophic fatal injury. These injuries can affect both subchondral bone, for instance in the metacarpal/metatarsal condyles, the proximal phalanx, and the third carpal bone, as well as in diaphyseal cortical bone of the third metacarpus/metatarsus, tibia, humerus, radius, scapula and pelvis. Osseous fatigue injuries can lead to osteoarthritis, for example with some subchondral fatigue injuries, or fracture, in the case of diaphyseal injuries or specific subchondral injuries ...