# Fractured navicular bone



## natjohns (7 February 2011)

Hi there,

I just wondered if anyone can help me please.  My horse was diagnosed today with a fractured navicular bone in his right fore.  I've got no idea how he did it, but he's been lame for over 2 months now.  At first he was being treated for a swelling between his suspensory and check ligaments, and was only lame at trot.  After 6 weeks box rest, the vet was pleased with his progress and told me to rest him for another 3 weeks, then re-scan etc.  When he returned last week, he was still slightly lame at trot.  He did go a bit mad when trotted up and was rearing etc but only for a short time.  The vet did a nerve block in his fetlock to eliminate previous sidebone problems from being the cause of the lameness. 

After this, he was hopping lame at walk and I wondered whether the nerve block had caused a problem or he'd damaged his ligament etc further.  Anyway, at this point I decided to get a second opinion, and to cut a long story short, when he was x-rayed today, they found the fracture in his navicular bone.  

The vet has told me I've got a choice of de-nerving him or putting him down, neither of which I want to do.  I have done some research on the internet and found that corrective shoeing and/or surgery could be possible.  Has anyone had any experience of this please?  I was competing him at advanced medium dressage, but I'd be happy to keep him just as a pet as long as he's not in pain.  Any help would be appreciate please!

Many thanks.


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## JACBERT (8 February 2011)

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your horse being diagnosed with a fractured navicular.

My mare also had a diagnosis of a fractured navicular.  Her lameness was relatively mild - but all the same, she was lame and had been for about 8 weeks - i also thought it was a mild ligament strain or something similar, so rested her.

Upon taking her to the vets, they x-rayed and found the fracture.  The vet said that a common cause of this, is in the field and stepping awkardly on a stone!

Like you, i did not want to put her down, so i sold her as brood mare, (luckily i had that option).

Hope this helps.. 

Jacbert


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## imr (9 February 2011)

Can you ask for a referral to one of the hospitals and let them take a look to see? I am assuming that you have got this from first opinion vet so may well be worth a referral to a specialist who has operated on this kind of thing.


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## classicalfan (9 February 2011)

Sorry to hear that your horse has fractured his navicular, it's a serious fracture.  You have four choices:
1. Have the de-nerving done.  The horse can work without pain but the donwside is he will continue to damage the area until the point where he breaks down completely - and that maybe quite soon after the returns to work.  
2. Remedial shoeing - in our experience this just prolongs his suffering - the problem is the broken bone!
3. Have him put down.
4. Retire him so that he can enjoy the time he has left.  I know of a place where they are magic with keeping horses with breaks comfortable.  They may be able to give you a better prognosis of whether he has a chance to recover.  If you leave a message in my inbox I'll give you their details.


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## Sam22 (10 February 2011)

Sorry if I miss understand but some of what you say does not make sense. When the nerve block at the level of the fetlock was done the navicular bone would have been blocked out too so if this was causing the lameness he should have got better not worse. 
Are the vets sure the navicular bone fracture is recent? When this bone fractures it never heals with boney union but fibrous tissue so it will always look like it is broken on a xray even though it has healed. A navicular bursa block needs to be done to confirm this. 
Surgery can be done to place a screw in the fragments of the navicular bone and pull them back together which can result in a sound and usefull horse. This is assuming the fracture is the typical verticle one resulting in two fragments. It maybe that the fracture is too old for surgery no though if it was done over two months ago. I think you need to ask more questions and maybe get another opinion from a surgeon.


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## Always Blue (11 February 2011)

rest and no work for a year at least and shoes off for definate! he will be sound as a pound in no time with barefoot trimming and rest


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## cm2581 (11 February 2011)

Always Blue said:



			rest and no work for a year at least and shoes off for definate! he will be sound as a pound in no time with barefoot trimming and rest
		
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Utter CR*P. The horse has a *broken bone*. Please read how lame the horse is. What you suggest would leave you open for prosecution for cruelty and neglect.


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## Amymay (11 February 2011)

Always Blue said:



			rest and no work for a year at least and shoes off for definate! he will be sound as a pound in no time with barefoot trimming and rest
		
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Yay, another who thinks this a cure all.........


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## TayloredEq (11 February 2011)

you could speak to your vet about the use of a hydrotherapy spa. these have been shown to help with other types of fractures and also in managing navicular. The cold of the spa also works as a painkiller to the horse. Also as all 4 legs would be going in it would help with any compensation issues.

Feel free to PM me to ask any questions, but if you googles ECB spas they have lots of case studies and testimonials on there.


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## alsiola (11 February 2011)

Always Blue said:



			rest and no work for a year at least and shoes off for definate! he will be sound as a pound in no time with barefoot trimming and rest
		
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I'm having to consult Poe's Law while reading this post.  Surely this must be a parody.


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## cloudandmatrix (11 February 2011)

I sincerely hope it is-otherwise that is the biggest load of rubbish i have read in a long time.


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## natjohns (21 February 2011)

Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

After doing some search on Google and speaking to various people, I found a fantastic vet in Banbury.  He x-rayed my horse and told me that fracture is new and that surgery was an option.  

Last Monday Crosby had Lag Screw Fixation on his navicular bone fracture.  We brought him home at the weekend.  So far hes doing well, but only time will tell how sound he will eventually be.  He will be on box rest for 8 weeks, but will be walked twice daily in hand.  He has been shoed normally all around with the exception of a straight bar shoe on his bad foot.  This is to try and stop any movement in his heel which could affect the healing process. 

The navicular bone does not have a periosteum, which means it probably wont ever completely heal, but at least the screw will keep it in place.  

We still dont know what his original lameness was, but with all the box rest he has to have, hopefully it will fix that too!  

This vet has saved Crosbys life.  If youre interested in reading about it, more details can be found here:

http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2001/91010100270.pdf

Thanks again!


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## cptrayes (21 February 2011)

Always Blue said:



			rest and no work for a year at least and shoes off for definate! he will be sound as a pound in no time with barefoot trimming and rest
		
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This person is either a stupid troll or the most dangerous barefooter in existence.


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## ae76williams (18 October 2012)

natjohns said:



			Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

After doing some search on Google and speaking to various people, I found a fantastic vet in Banbury.  He x-rayed my horse and told me that fracture is new and that surgery was an option.  

Last Monday Crosby had Lag Screw Fixation on his navicular bone fracture.  We brought him home at the weekend.  So far hes doing well, but only time will tell how sound he will eventually be.  He will be on box rest for 8 weeks, but will be walked twice daily in hand.  He has been shoed normally all around with the exception of a straight bar shoe on his bad foot.  This is to try and stop any movement in his heel which could affect the healing process. 

The navicular bone does not have a periosteum, which means it probably wont ever completely heal, but at least the screw will keep it in place.  

We still dont know what his original lameness was, but with all the box rest he has to have, hopefully it will fix that too!  

This vet has saved Crosbys life.  If youre interested in reading about it, more details can be found here:

http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2001/91010100270.pdf

Thanks again!
		
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I really hope your horse recovered well from his injury and is at the very least sound and comfortable in himself.  How is he doing now?


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## ae76williams (18 October 2012)

alsiola said:



			I'm having to consult Poe's Law while reading this post.  Surely this must be a parody.
		
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My thoughts too!


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## Jesster (17 February 2015)

Curiously....I have a horse that has a fractured navicular, that had healed badly so it now has a 'step' in it. Horse has been lame on and off for nearly four years. Vet advised de nerving, as he said that the horse would  

De-nerving carries a 60% success rate. There is a one in three chance that the horse will grow a nice little neuroma on the end of the cut nerve and have to be put down. To me, these are rubbish odds. 

Instead, we took his shoes off and turned him out. He improved with each day and six months later he started slow work again. His feet are now nearly matched in shape and he has been playing arena polo since November. The last time he needed any bute was when he was shod. He hasn't needed it in a year!

So remember, when you poo-pooh someone's barefooting suggestion, bear in mind that person could have had the same experiences as me. 

Cost of neurectomy £1000 plus risk of death

Cost of shoes off and rest £0

Bit of a no brainer


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