Nuclear scintigraphic diagnosis and treatment of rib lesions

Rib abnormalities in adult horses usually result from a fall or other direct trauma or maybe due to recurrent pain and re-injury of a rib fracture sustained early in life. Clinical signs depend on the nature, site and chronicity of the lesion. In horses with acute rib fractures there may be localised swelling, haematoma formation, focal pain, respiratory discomfort and abnormal depression or angulation of the rib cage. Signs associated with haemothorax or pneumothorax may be evident in horses with severe, displaced fractures. In horses with more chronic injury, however, abnormalities may be difficult to detect on physical examination. Cranial rib fractures and other rib lesions should be considered in horses with forelimb lameness that cannot be alleviated with diagnostic analgesia and caudal rib fracture or injury as a cause of poor performance, resistance to saddling or bucking. Horses with cranial rib pain may present with ipsilateral forelimb lameness, often characterised by a decreased cranial phase of the stride, excessive head elevation and abduction of the forelimb during protraction of the affected limb. Gait deficits in horses with caudal rib abnormalities are unusual but resistance to saddling, bucking and poor performance may occur ...