Hospital records of 32 non-racehorses referred to Skara Animal Hospital and Halland Animal Hospital, Sweden, between January 1995 and September 2001 for intraarticular fractures of the third phalanx, were reviewed, and follow-up information on final outcome was collected to determine whether any injury or treatment factors could be associated with the outcome. Mean age of the horses was 8.3 years (range, 1-20 years), and follow-up time ranged from 1 to 7 years after injury. In 11 (34%) of the horses, injury involved the front limbs. Twenty-two (69%) horses returned to their original level of use. There was no statistically significant correlation between outcome and elapsed time from injury to treatment, treatment variables, or bony union in the present study.

Ossification of the collateral cartilages of the distal phalanx has been studied primarily in cold blooded horses. The clinical relevance of this condition is unknown. Despite this fact, since 1939, all Swedish Ardenner stallions have had to be classified as being free from this ossification to be approved for breeding. Initially, palpation was used as a diagnostic method, but since 1982 radiology has been the only method used. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of 68 years of breeding program. Dorsopalmar radiographs were taken of the front feet of 58 Ardenners (30 mares, 8 geldings and 20 stallions) and the ossification of the collateral cartilages was evaluated and graded according to three different scales; - Ruohoniemi (grade 0-5), - Swedish University of Agricultural Science (grade 0-3), - and a new scale (grade 0-3), developed for this study.

Records of P III fractures from 235 horses, 71 of them were standardbreds, treated at 3 major Swedish equine hospitals (Strömsholm, SLU and Mälaren hästklinik) between 1994 and 2004 were evaluated for information such as the patients age, sex, breed, type of fracture, affected leg, time and place of the injury, treatment and, if possible, result of treatment. For the standardbreds, result of treatment was also followed up through written correspondence with owners and by screening AB Trav och Galopp racing-results. Moreover, results of horses with type II and III-fractures treated with rest and therapeutic shooing only were compared to horses in which lag screw fixation were added to achieve interfragmental compression. Compared to the rest of the Swedish horse population, P III fractures were slightly more common among standardbred horses. The mean age of the affected standardbred was 5,8 years, compared to 7,9 years in the rest of the horse-population. Most horses injured themselves in the paddock.