There are a couple of papers on the subject of fractures, therapeutic intervention and human maltreatment of animals in the recently published ICAZ Proceedings: Teegan, W-R. 2005. Rib and vertebral fractures in medieval dogs from Haithabu, Starigard and Schleswig, pp 34-38. In Davies, J., Fabis, M., Mainland, I., Richards, M. and Thomas, R. (eds.). Diet and Health in Past Animal Populations: Current Research and Future Directions. Oxford: Oxbow Books. Udrescu, M, and Van Neer, W. 2005. (...)