Fracture of a cervical vertebrae of a horse

A 14 year old Warmblood gelding was presented to Equine Clinic Burg Muggenh ausen in March 1998 because of severe stiffness in the head and neck region . Based on results of clinical and radiologic examination in conjuction wit h digital radiograph development technique, the diagnosis was (frontal plan e) fracture of the dens of the second cervical vertebra (C2). Follow-up exa minations after twelve weeks and eighteen weeks of stable rest showed littl e bone healing activity but the horse had improved clinically The owners we re given advise on the severity of the fracture and on the risks of early r eturn to exercise, such as neurologic deficits, a nd sudden death. However, because the horse had improved clinically very rapidly, the owners decided to return the horse to exercise and increased the level of exercise more r apidly than advised. Less than one year after the initial injury the horse was competing with success. In April 1999 a final radigraphic exam revealed a healed fracture with minimal displacement of the dens and a clinically s ound horse.