Summary Background Slab fractures of the third carpal bone (C3) are a common injury of Thoroughbred racehorses. Results of arthroscopically guided repair have not been reported since the initial description of the technique in 1986. Additionally, fracture details and racing outcomes in a population of Thoroughbreds racing under UK jurisdiction have not previously been described. Objectives To report the frequency distribution of C3 slab fractures and to determine the impact on racing performance following arthroscopically guided repair in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. Study design Retrospective case series. Methods Case records of Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing arthroscopically guided repair of C3 slab fractures at Newmarket Equine Hospital between 2006 and 2015 were retrieved. Radiographs and arthroscopic studies were reviewed. The effect of demography and fracture morphology on racing outcome was evaluated. Results C3 slab fractures occurred most commonly through the radial facet in a frontal plane (45/71 63.4%). Comminution was identified during arthroscopy in 42/71 (59.2%) fractures and occurred most frequently at the palmar margin of the fracture. Forty‐one out of 65 horses (63.1%) raced at least once post‐operatively. Females were less likely to return to racing compared to males (P<0.001). Horses that had raced before injury were more likely (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.4–13.5, P = 0.01) to race after injury compared to horses that were unraced at the time of injury. After injury horses had a small but significant reduction in racing performance. Main limitations The series is a preselected population of Thoroughbred racehorses which referring veterinary surgeons considered potential candidates for surgical repair. Conclusion Fracture configurations can be identified radiographically but is not a reliable predictor of comminution or other intra‐articular lesions. Arthroscopy not only directs repair but also identifies and facilitates management of concurrent lesions. The results reported should assist in formulating appropriate prognoses for Thoroughbred horses racing in the UK.

As the prevalence of mechanical space cooling in the residential sector increases in Canada, the amount of energy consumed and greenhouse gases released is increasing.Solar absorption cooling has the potential to significantly reduce the energy consumption for space cooling. Before widespread implementation of solar cooling can be achieved throughout Canada, the feasibility and optimization of these systems must be determined for the different climatic conditions within Canada. The design and construction of a complete experimental apparatus to assess the performance of an absorption chiller with integrated thermal storage was completed. The experimental set-up consists of a controllable, variable heat source capable of supplying water at 95°C and at flow rates up to 30 L/min, a heat rejection loop, which can dissipate 30 kW of thermal energy, and a building load simulator to create realistic residential cooling profiles. In addition, a model of the experimental set-up was created in TRNSYS. This model was used to create the experimental procedure for testing the absorption chiller. Through simulation it was determined that the chiller should be run for seven complete cycles and measurements taken at 30 second time intervals. Calibration was performed on the thermocouples and thermopiles to determine a set of equations that relates the voltage produced to the temperature and temperature difference. The error on the temperature readings was determined to be ±0.49°C while the temperature difference measured by the thermopiles has an uncertainty of ±0.15°C. An uncertainty analysis was conducted on the overall experimental set-up and the uncertainty of the thermal coefficient of performance can be determined to an overall uncertainty of ±3.8 percent, while the uncertainty on the electrical coefficient of performance was found to be ±3.3 percent.ii

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