Conservative Management of Unilateral Fractures of the Mandibular Rami in Horses.
Authors: Jansson Nicolai
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Conservative Management of Unilateral Mandibular Fractures in Horses Unilateral fractures of the mandibular rami are often considered challenging injuries, yet Jansson's retrospective analysis of 24 client-owned horses suggests conservative (non-surgical) management warrants serious consideration as a viable treatment option. Over a 14-year period, 23 of 24 horses (96%) managed without surgical intervention returned to their previous level of work or training with no clinically apparent masticatory dysfunction or healing complications at follow-up, whilst only one animal presented with tooth loosening, feed impaction, and secondary chewing difficulties. Notably, this high success rate was maintained despite reliance on retrospective data collection through medical records (n=11) and owner/trainer telephone interviews (n=13), which introduces some variability in assessment rigour. For farriers, veterinarians, and equine rehabilitation professionals managing horses with confirmed unilateral mandibular ramus fractures, these findings provide evidence-based justification for conservative protocols—potentially avoiding general anaesthesia and surgical intervention whilst achieving excellent functional outcomes in the majority of cases. Given the anatomical stability of unilateral fractures compared to bilateral injury, this approach merits discussion with owners as a practical first-line strategy, particularly for horses where fracture configuration permits adequate inherent stability and where close monitoring during the healing phase is feasible.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Conservative (non-surgical) management of unilateral mandibular fractures has a high success rate (96%), making it a reasonable first-line treatment option to discuss with owners
- •Most horses return to full work or intended use, though long-term follow-up is important to monitor for delayed complications like feed impaction or tooth problems
- •This approach may reduce costs and risks associated with surgical intervention in suitable cases
Key Findings
- •23 of 24 horses (96%) returned to previous or intended use following conservative management
- •23 of 24 horses (96%) had no clinically evident masticatory or fracture healing-related problems at follow-up
- •Only 1 horse (4%) developed complications including tooth loosening, feed impaction, and masticatory problems
- •Conservative management is a viable treatment option for unilateral mandibular ramus fractures in horses