Repair of femoral shaft fractures by elastic plate osteosynthesis using veterinary cuttable plates in young dogs

Abstract

Immature young dogs (12), 2–5 month-old, weighing 4–9 kg, with unstable femoral diaphyseal fractures were selected and stabilized with indigenously designed veterinary cuttable plate (VCP) along with compatible size of cortical screws by elastic plate osteosynthesis (EPO) technique. Clinical lameness evaluation and radiographic evaluation for implant stability, fragment alignment and callus formation were studied. Postoperatively, all cases showed grade I lameness and complete removal of implant was done on an average 5–7 weeks after radiographic appearance of cortical union. Complications like delayed cortical union in 1 case was noticed due to wound dehiscence with distal screw pullout in which revision of surgery was performed. Outcome of fracture healing in all cases was evaluated by lameness grading, radiographic and biochemical analysis. Based on present study, elastic plate osteosynthesis (EPO) technique using VCP (narrow, thin and cut to desired length) was better suited for the treatment of femoral diaphyseal fractures than other conventional methods in young dogs with thin cortical bones and active growth plates.