External Unilateral Fixator of Own Design for the Treatment of Selected Mandibular Fractures in Horses

Abstract

Most of the mandibular fractures occur as a result of accidents, kicks, or falls. The treatment of fractures located in the incisor region is quite successful with the use of the wiring method. Fractures that occur within the body of the mandible are more complicated. Some of them are open and infected and involve the cheek teeth, which makes treatment quite challenging. In these cases, using bone plates mounted directly on the bone would constitute poor technique. External skeletal fixators can be a good alternative for treatment of complicated fractures. In this article we present the construction and the possible use of a unilateral external fixator dedicated for the treatment of mandibular body fractures. The fixator consists of one rod having a diameter of 8 mm and a length of 20 cm, four booms, four connectors, and four self-threading apex pins with a diameter of 6 mm. Stainless steel was used in the production of the fixator. The device has been successfully used for the treatment of open mandible fractures. The stabilizer is light and is small in size, simple to use, and easily assembled and disassembled. It can be adjusted in three planes.