Subchondral bone microdamage accumulation in distal metacarpus of Thoroughbred racehorses

Abstract

Background: Microdamage accumulation leads to subchondral bone injury and/or fracture in racehorses. An understanding of this process is essential for developing strategies for injury prevention. Objectives: To quantify subchondral bone microdamage in the third metacarpal bone of Thoroughbred racehorses at different stages of the training cycle. Study design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Bone blocks from the palmar aspect of the medial condyles of third metacarpal bones from 46 racing Thoroughbred horses undergoing post-mortem were examined with micro computed tomography (microCT) to detect calcified microcracks, and light microscopy to quantify bulk stained microcracks. Racing and training his..