Coffin Bone Fractures in Horses

The wedge-shaped coffin or pedal bone lies just under the front surface of a horse’s hoof. A fractured coffin bone is a fairly common injury that might or might not jeopardize the horse’s performance career. A study in The Netherlands concluded that the type and location of the fracture correlated to the chance that a horse would be able to return to the same level of activity as before the fracture.

In the study, records from 223 horses were examined. For horses breaking the tip or sides of the bone in ways that did not affect the joint, 92% were able to return to their previous level of performance. Fractures involving the joint, those that damaged the upper or lower bone surface rather than the tip, and those in which the bone was broken into several fragments had less chance of successful recovery.

Stall rest was shown to be the best treatment for many coffin bone fractures. The only type of fracture that responded better to arthroscopic surgery was an injury in which the top flange of bone near the coronary band was detached. In this case, removal of the chip enhanced recovery.

Other findings showed:

• Horses with coffin fractures in the hind limbs had a better chance of a successful outcome than when a fracture affected a forelimb.
• There was no advantage to immobilizing the hoof while healing took place.
• Radiographs were not always helpful in determining healing progress. Estimating the horse’s comfort level was a better gauge of healing.