Fracture fixations and arthrodesis in the shoulder region

Conditions needing the use of internal fixation in the equine shoulder are uncommon. Specifically, supraglenoid tubercle, greater trochanter and scapular fractures as well as arthrodesis are the main reasons why the equine surgeon will need to reach into his or hers ORIF knowledge and use different implants. From 3.5 mm broad DCP to a 4.5 LCP, there might be an opportunity to use a variety of implants, although some smaller fractures may just be treated conservatively or by removing the fractured fragment.

Supraglenoid tubercle fractures are the most commonly reported shoulder fractures in horses, but only a handful of references exist in the literature with prognosis varying from poor to favourable depending on the treatment selected. More recently a new technique has been reported with excellent results. However only 4 hoses were documented.

Greater trochanter fractures are even rarer and poorly described in the literature. Their treatment may range from removal of the fragment to internal fixation by using a combination of cortical and cancellous screws and plates if the fragment and horse are large.

Scapular fractures occur also rarely (about 1.6 % of all fractures) but have great prognosis if stabilized and treated promptly if the articular surface is involved. [...]