Diaphyseal fractures of the III metacarpal bone represent 22% of all fractures of the long bones in horses. Treatment of such cases is difficult. The most popular solution used in these types of fractures is two plates applied directly to the bone surface, but they are not applicable on contaminated and infected fractures.External fixators are quite commonly used in human medicine, although in veterinary practice there is no typical stabilizer designed for the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of the III metacarpal bone so far. In this study, an external semicircular fixator of our own design was used and in vitro strength tests were conducted to determine the maximum force which would lead to the destruction of non-fractured bone and fractured bone treated with the stabilizer.On the basis of the strength tests, we can conclude that the stabilizer can be strong enough to allow the horse to stand up after surgery. It also has many favorable features which make it easy to assemble and to take care of a wound, while being safe enough for the animal at the same time.

SummaryColics in horses are a common problem, which can be life-threatening for the animal, depending on the type and severity of the disease. The case described in this article concerns surgically treated intramural hematoma of the jejunum in a 3-year-old Arabian mare. Medial laparotomy was performed in dorsal recumbency under general anesthesia. During the exploration of the abdominal cavity, highly filled intestinal loops were found along with intramural hematoma located in the jejunum. A resection of the intestinal part with extravasation was performed, and the content of the small intestine was evacuated. The postoperative treatment consisted of intravenous and general antibiotic therapy as well as intensive fluid therapy for the next 5 days. The abdominal cavity was flushed two times a day with a warm physiological solution containing heparin. After 3 days the drain was removed. After the treatment the mare returned to full health.

Management of equine anesthesia monitoring is still a challenge. Careful monitoring to provide guidelines for anesthesia depth assessment currently relies upon eye signs, cardiopulmonary responses, and the level of muscle relaxation. Electroencephalography, as a non-invasive brain activity monitor, may be used to complement the routinely monitored physiologic parameters. Six horses, undergoing various surgical procedures and anesthesia protocols, were monitored with the use of a Root with Sedline EEG monitor and a routine monitor of life parameters. The life parameters were compared to the changes on the EEG density spectral array observed live during anesthesia. During all procedures the level of awareness was monitored using the EEG, with higher frequency and power of waves indicating a higher level of awareness. It was evident from this that there were variations according to the type of procedure and the anesthetic protocol. Cerebral activity was elevated during painful moments of the surgery and recovery, requiring adjustments in anesthetic concentrations. Evaluation of changes in the spectral edge frequency (SEF) could show the periods when the patient is stabilized. EEG monitoring has the potential to be used in clinical anesthesiology of horses. It was shown that this system may be used in horses under general anesthesia but is currently less effective in a standing horse for diagnostic or minor procedures.

Biomaterials originate from natural substances and are widely used in medicine. Although they have to satisfy many conditions to be useful for treatment, more and more research is carried out with new types of biomaterials that can help replace various tissues such as tendons and bones. Chitosan is a very promising material, revealing unique features, which makes it useful for veterinary medicine -antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, biodegradability. It is also known as good scaffold material, especially when combined with other polymers. This article describes chitosan as a biomaterial and tissue engineering scaffold with possible applications in veterinary medicine.

Electroencephalography is a noninvasive method used for the measurement of central nervous system bioelectrical activity. Besides its use for neurological disorders diagnostics in humans and animals, it was found to be useful as a part of the anesthetic monitoring. Introducing the electroencephalography (EEG) measurement intraoperatively in humans and in animals, due to its high specificity and sensitivity (limited number of wave patterns and high number of variabilities influencing them), with comparison to cardiovascular parameters might significantly increase the quality of anesthesia. The use of EEG during equine anesthesia may help to maintain a proper depth of anesthesia in this species. Due to the fact that EEG analyzers were designed for humans, there are still limitations of their use in horses, and different methods of analysis are studied. The paper introduces the physiology of EEG, its use in animals during anesthesia, and specification for horses.

A 2-year-old mare of an unknown breed was referred to the clinic due to undetermined breathing difficulties. Physical examination revealed painless swelling rostral to the nasoincisive notch and a large, firm mass protruding from the left nostril. Radiographic examination of the head revealed a mass occupying the left nasal cavity and a displaced and hypoplastic last premolar of the left maxilla. The CT scan showed a well-demarcated heterogeneous mass measuring 22 × 9 × 5 cm (length × height × width) in the left nasal cavity attached to the roots of the displaced tooth and conchae. The surgery was performed on the standing horse. Firstly, due to the oblique position of the displaced tooth, the extraction was performed extra-orally through the trephination and repulsion of the maxillary bone. In the next step, a direct surgical approach was chosen for the caudal part of the mass via the osteotomy of the left nasal bone. The mass was bluntly separated from the conchae and removed through the nostril using Fergusson forceps. The histopathological characteristics of the mass led to the diagnosis of ossifying fibroma. The horse recovered completely in seven months, without recurrence after two years.

The aim of this report is to describe a clinical case of squamous cell carcinoma in an 18-year-old horse. This tumor is one of the most common superficial oncological problems in these animals. A lesion in the lateral corner of the eye was already observed about 10 years earlier, but due to the lack of significant growth or alarming symptoms, no diagnostics or treatment was implemented. A year before surgery, an episode of acute inflammation in the eye and a slight enlargement of the nodule occurred. Initially, an autoimmune origin of the lesion was assumed, but anti-inflammatory and bactericidal treatment did not lead to a significant improvement. As a result of sampling for histopathological examination, the tumor doubled its volume, so, given the inefficacy of the subsequent anti-inflammatory and antibiotic therapy, the horse was sent to the clinic. A convex, painful lesion partially covering the cornea was found on arrival. In view of the rapid growth of the tumor and its infiltration of surrounding tissues, a decision was made to carry out transpalpebral enucleation. The procedure was performed under general anesthesia and with an additional retrobulbar block. Because of significant tissue tensions and the risk of hematoma, an intermittent horizontal mattress suture was used. The area was secured with a compression dressing. The horse returned to sport, and no recurrence of the tumor was observed up to 7 months after surgery. Histopathological examination confirmed squamous cell metaplasia forming keratin pearls, characteristic of squamous cell carcinoma.

The high anesthetic mortality rate and high number of the postanesthetic side effects in horses generates the need for precise assessment of Central Nervous System depression caused by the anesthetic agents. The factors which influence the degree of CNS depression can be human-dependent (i.e. veterinarian level of education), conditionally human-dependent (i.e. type of surgery performed) or not human-dependent (i.e. breed, individual susceptibility to anesthetics). In order to monitor and assess the level of equine anesthesia, the modified Guedel scale is used currently. There are 3 types of monitoring according to its accuracy: basic, routine and used in special cases. The monitored vital parameters can give either direct or indirect measurement on the cardiovascular and respiratory system during anesthesia. In this paper the types of measurement techniques and the practical use of ECG, pulse, eye signs, arterial blood pressure, body temperature, pulse oximetry, capnography, end tidal anesthetics concentration and blood gases were described. More parameters can be measured, but not all of them can be used in everyday practice, because of the complicated invasive technique. Currently the research are led on direct monitoring of CNS through intraanesthetic EEG analysis..