Fragmentation of the dorsal distal aspect of the talus on weanling survey and pre-sale radiographs of juvenile Thoroughbreds: prevalence and 2- and 3-year-olds racing performance

Abstract

Background: Fragmentation of the dorsal aspect of the distal talus (FDDT), at the dorsolateral articular margin of the proximal intertarsal joint (PITJ) on pre-sale radiographs of yearling Thoroughbreds has not been previously described and data to support decisions made by veterinarians to predict future racing potential of horses with these lesions are lacking. Methods: In this retrospective case–control study we aimed to determine the prevalence of FDDT in juvenile Thoroughbreds and to report their race records. From a database of survey and repository radiographic examinations of 5709 horses, 36 with FDDT were identified. Results: The prevalence of FDDT was 0.63% (36/5709; 95%CI 0.44, 0...