A STUDY ON THE EXTERNAL SKELETAL FIXATION OF FRACTURES IN ANIMALS
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Date
2017-12-18
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CSKHPKV, Palampur
Abstract
The present study was undertaken for standardization and clinical application of External Skeletal Fixation (ESF) techniques in animals. In the first phase of study, different ESF configurations was standardized on osteotomized bovine cadavers and canine artificial bones. In the second phase, the standardized ESF configurations were applied on seventeen bones of sixteen animals that included ten bovines, four canine and two equine patients presented for fixation of different kinds of fractures or corrective osteotomies. Among these, nine patients belonged to juvenile age-group, four to adult and three to senile categories. The involved bones were radius ulna, metacarpal, femur, tibia and mandibles. The fractures were open type in six and closed type in seven instances. The fracture healing and the status of ESF constructs were evaluated on the basis of various clinical, orthopaedic and radiological observations at different time intervals. It was found out that both linear and circular ESFs could be used successfully for fixation of a variety of fractures and osteotomies in small as well as large animals. The strength of the ESF construct was directly proportional to the complexity of its design mainly dictated by the number of transfixation pins and the side bars or rings. Circular ESF configuration was strongest followed by type III and type II linear ESF constructs but its application was relatively cumbersome. 2.5 mm transfixation pins for small animals and 4.0 mm pins for large animals were found to be strong enough to support the ESF-bone constructs. Centrally-threaded Denham pins and end-threaded Schanz screws provided better hold in the bone than the smooth pins. Minimum two transfixation pins per major fracture fragment were considered essential for stabilizing the ESF constructs satisfactorily. 3.2 mm side bars for average sized dogs and 7.9 mm for small sized equine were adequate to support the linear ESF constructs. The rings with 120-180 diameter with 6 mm threaded rods were found to be suitable to construct circular ESF for large bovines. The carbon fibre rings were radiolucent allowing better radiographic evaluation of the fracture site postoperatively than the stainless steel rings.
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