Fractured patella

[Tucker5]

Has anyone had a horse with a fractured patella (stifle) and how lame was the horse? My 3y.o. just being started under saddle was diagnosed with a chronic fractured patella. We will attempt light trail riding to see what she can tolerate but will likely be retired as a broodmare.

I purchased her as a yearling, not halter broke. She has had no significant lameness. I was bothered by her constantly resting a hind hoof - it was all the time. She also bunny hopped horribly at the canter. Although that would smooth out cantering a straight line in pasture. She seemed to otherwise track up evenly and had a lovely overtracking walk. I was fairly hands off with her and just did some simple groundwork and the absolute minimum of lunging ie. 20-30 times over 2 years. I saw her every day since she lives where I work. No one else can remember a time she was lame.

[Bluey]

My old ranch horse was being pestered by a colt that wanted to play.
He bobbed up behind in warning, didn’t kick out at all, but landed and started limping immediately, almost looked like he broke his leg.
After a few steps he smoothed out but was still obviously lame.
Hauled him to the vet immediately, by the time we got there the inside of his stifle had a tennis ball swelling, x-rays showing a broken chip.
Vet drained and injected it, said hopefully it will reabsorb or reattach, could not do anything for it.
Horse was retired, vet checked him regularly, two times more he drained and injected it.
Horse was always lame and after two years he was not able to stand comfortably for the farrier and had trouble getting down and up and we had to let him go.
That was several years ago, today they can do so much more.
Surgeries to repair those problems are more successful.

Hope you have better luck.

[Tucker5]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m not expecting much good since the problem is in a joint. I just wish horse people overall displayed more integrity.

[IPEsq]

Have you consulted with a surgeon?

[Tucker5]

The examining vet consulted with their in-house surgeon. The options were 1) arthroscopic surgery to take a look at how bad things were and possibly shave down rough spots 2) if the chunk was free then it could possibly be removed but that would be an open joint surgery.

Unfortunately, it is a chunk, not a chip. The surgeon felt that the chunk had fused back to the main section which meant removal wouldn’t be possible. I’m not sure what a scope and shaving would really accomplish? And would shaving remove cartilage on the gliding surface? But those may be questions to follow up with the surgeon on. Any way we go though, I’m not going to have a sound horse. At least that’s my impression.