Over Before It Begins

Dr. Joanne Kramer, pink shirt, second from right doing surgery today on #148 at University of Missouri, Columbia Veterinary School.

Query whether women with their smaller hands make superior surgeons.  It was the year 2000 that Dr. Kramer repaired my Aylward's busted nose were the horse was kicked after getting a second and 3 straight wins.  I had a $3000 nose, and this time will sport a $4000 hock by the time it's all said and done.

Racing prognosis, according to the Doc, good.  Two year old season, down the tubes. By Dr. Kramer--30 days stall rest--60 days in small paddock--4 months before serious exercise can begin.  Fragment large enough that it requires sizable incision.  Area will fill with fluid that turn into scarring type cartilage (forgetting term) over time.  This cartilage need develop well as it's necessary to stabilize the area.  Doc say as this develops it will fail to withstand the pressure of exercise or simple gallops.  Apparently the developing material will keep scrambling itself if there's pressure on it and eventually you have a weak conglomerative mess in the joint instead of new tightly patterned cartilage fibers that are necessary for strength.

In one sense over the years in athletics I have developed a sanguine attitude toward injured athletes.  You just wait for them to come back, that simple.  In the other sense right now we're fairly unhappy in RR land.