Use of UV-Polymerizable Methacrylate Adhesive as a Post-Recovery Bandage Replacement for Transphyseal Screw Incisions in Horses: A Pilot Study

Surgical adhesives may provide an alternative to postoperative bandaging, but their use has not been evaluated in veterinary medicine. This prospective pilot study investigated the tolerance and postoperative adhesion of a UV-polymerizable methacrylate adhesive (UV-PMA) as a post-recovery bandage substitute following transphyseal screw placement in horses. A total of 153 sutured stab incisions from 102 horses were included; 75 received UV-PMA and 78 were protected with bandages. Surgical site infection (SSI) within 30 days and UV-PMA/bandage slippage within 14 days were compared between the treatments for carpal and fetlock incisions using Fisher's exact tests. For carpal incisions, the SSI rate was significantly different (p-value = 0.025), with SSI occurring in 4/31 bandaged incisions (12.9%) and in no UV-PMA incisions. For fetlock incisions, the SSI rates did not differ between groups (3/30 (10%) vs. 6/47 (12.8%); p-value = 1.000). The UV-PMA displacement and bandage slippage rates were comparable for carpal incisions (5/45 (11%) vs. 3/31 (10%); p-value = 1.000), whereas UV-PMA displacement was significantly more frequent for fetlock incisions (9/30 (30%) vs. 2/47 (4%); p-value = 0.003). The UV-PMA shows preliminary potential as a bandage substitute, particularly for carpal incisions, but its higher displacement rate at the fetlock warrants further evaluation in larger randomized studies.