Conservative Management of Unilateral Fractures of the Mandibular Rami in Horses

Abstract

ObjectiveTo report the outcome of conservative management of unilateral fractures of the mandibular rami in horses.Study DesignRetrospective case series.Animals24 client‐owned horses with unilateral mandibular fracturesMethodsMedical records (January 2000–January 2014) of horses with unilateral mandibular ramus fractures were retrieved. Only conservatively managed horses with follow‐up information were included. Follow‐up information on clinical outcome was retrieved from the medical records (n=11) or obtained by telephone interviews with the owners or trainers (n=13).ResultsTwenty‐three horses (96%) returned to their previous or intended use and had no clinically evident masticatory or fracture healing‐related problems at the time of follow‐up. The owner of 1 horse (4%) reported it had tooth loosening, feed impaction, and masticatory problems.ConclusionConservative management of unilateral fractures of the mandibular rami is a treatment option in horses.