Objective: To assess suspensory ligament extensor branch location and fracture gap reduction with simulation of standing and recumbent cortical bone screw repair of experimental incomplete parasagittal proximal phalanx (P1) fractures.Study design: Controlled laboratory study. Sample population: Twenty equine cadaver forelimbs.Methods: Simulated fractures were repaired twice in random order. A proximal cortical bone screw was placed in lag fashion with the limb unloaded (simulated recumbent repair) and loaded to 38% of body weight (range, 375-568 kg; simulated standing repair). Changes in fracture gap width were assessed on computed tomography (CT) images and with intraplanar forcesensitive resistors measuring voltage ratios (V 4 ) between loaded recumbent (R-1) and standing repair simulations (R-2). Extensor branch borders were determined relative to implant position and sagittal P1 width on transverse CT images. P ≤ .05 was considered significant.Results: Standing repair simulation-associated fracture gaps were not wider than in R-1 while controlling for confounding factors (loading weight, implant position, or animal age; P > .7, repeated-measures analysis of variance). Voltage ratio data associated with R-2 were not smaller than with R-1 (mean difference, 0.002 ± 0.052; one-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P = .27). More of P1 width was approachable palmar to extensor branches when limbs were loaded (0.804 ± 0.314 cm) vs unloaded (0.651 ± 0.31 cm; paired Student's t test, P < .001).
Conclusion:Simulated standing repair was not associated with inferior fracture reduction compared with loaded simulations of recumbent repairs. Limb loading affected extensor branch location relevant to implant positioning.