Elisa Marcucci

Tibial fractures in beef cattle are a significant clinical challenge, particularly in animals weighing over 300 kg, where surgical treatment is often discouraged due to poor prognosis. This study evaluated the use of full limb double transfixation pin casting (TPC) in field settings for treating tibial fractures in 11 beef cattle weighing between 260 and 480 kg. All animals received the same surgical approach, involving pin placement both proximal and distal to the fracture site, followed by application of a fiberglass cast encompassing the entire limb. The short-term outcome was positive in 90.9% of cases, with two animals not surviving to cast removal. A long-term positive outcome—defined as completing the production cycle and reaching slaughter weight—was achieved in 72.7% of cases. All surviving animals exhibited some residual lameness, but none experienced functional limitations or carcass devaluation. These results support the feasibility and effectiveness of a full limb cast with double transfixation pinning for tibial fracture repair in heavy cattle under field conditions, offering a cost-effective and practical alternative to internal fixation or Thomas splint casts. Further studies are encouraged to confirm these findings and better assess outcomes in open fracture cases.

Accurate early prognostic assessment is a central aspect of clinical decision-making in horses presenting with colic. Despite the availability of multiple clinical and laboratory parameters, reliable biomarkers that provide useful information at the time of admission remain limited. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a non-specific indicator of systemic inflammation that has recently been validated for automated point-of-care use in horses. Its behaviour in equine colic has not been previously characterised. This study included 85 horses admitted for colic at two university referral hospitals. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was measured at admission in all horses and again approximately 24 h after surgery in a subset of surgical cases. Horses were classified as medically managed, surgical survivors or surgical non-survivors. Group comparisons were performed using non-parametric statistical methods, and associations with survival were evaluated. The admission erythrocyte sedimentation rate was significantly lower in surgical non-survivors compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate rose in surviving horses within 24 h, while it barely changed among non-survivors, and there were no significant changes among surgical values. Actually, these observations suggest that low erythrocyte sedimentation rates on admission are associated with low chances of survival for horses undergoing colic surgery and thus make these rates a feasible additional prognostic indicator for equine colic.