CLINICAL COMMUNICATION KLINIESE MEDEDELING

Limb fracture during recovery from general anaesthesia: An often tragic complication of equine anaesthesia

T B Dzikiti; L Bester; I Cilliers; A Carstens; G F Stegmann; J Hubert

Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Ondesterpoort, 0110 South Africa

ABSTRACT

A 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare was presented for lameness of the left hindlimb as a result of an apical fracture of the lateral proximal sesamoid bone. The mare was ultimately euthanased after suffering catastrophic fractures of the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones of the contra-lateral hindlimb during an uncoordinated attempt to rise during recovery from general anaesthesia after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. The case report focuses mostly on horse anaesthesia-related mortality, anaesthetic procedure in the horse, possible causes of fractures in horses during recovery and ways in which rate of occurrence of these fractures can be minimised.

Key words: equine, anaesthetic mortality, recovery

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Received: January 2008
Accepted: August 2008

* Author for correspondence. E-mail: brighton.dzikiti@up.ac.za