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  Discussion on False splint
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Member:
Silv

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004 - 12:02 pm:

Hi Dr. O,

My mare ran through some electric fencing during a storm and received a very deep cut approx 2 to 2 1/2 inch across the front of the upper part of her cannon bone on the right hind leg. She was stitched and treated with antibiotics. The leg got very fat but vet did not want me to give bute because of healing of stitches. The wound seemed to be taking a very long to heal and after the stitches came out I started to lightly ride her. She did not appear lame. I was concerned because after some ring work the leg would be fat again in the morning. (The swelling was hard and looked like when a horse stocks up and she appeared to be becoming a bit off in that leg ). My vet came out again and took xrays to make sure there was no bone chip or fracture. Fortunately there was no chip or fracture. She said she did see some calcification forming possibly due to original trauma or infection and said that it could be a false splint forming. We put her on bute and a second dose of antibiotics along with worming her with ivermectin. The swelling has come down considerably and there appears to be less heat in it than before and the wound is healing finally. She said she should not be ridden hard. She has been on bute and antibiotics for 4 days now. Do you think my riding her in the beginning (2 to 3 weeks) could have done further damage. Is the course of treatment the same for a false splint? What exactly is a false splint? How long should she be rested before returning to work?

Thanks,
Marcy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004 - 10:57 pm:

Hello M,
I don't use the term false splint. Some use it to differentiate a splint which forms from external trauma as opposed to internal stress, see the article for more on this difference. In both cases the horse is rested until the inflammation subsides and though the article gives guidelines, but you have to take this on a case by case basis because the amount of inflammation differs.

I do not understand some of what you post: the bute does not slow down the healing of the sutured wound. In fact if there is remarkable inflammation and swelling, that is what will slow down the healing and the bute would have helped that.
DrO
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