UNIPLANAR BILATERAL ACRYLIC EXTERNAL SKELETAL FIXATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF LONG BONE FRACTURE IN GOATS
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Date
2018
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
The study was conducted in six goats affected with fracture of metatarsus
during the period from August 2017 to April 2018. The objectives of the study were
to assess healing of fracture by uniplanar bilateral external skeletal fixation using
acrylic connecting bar and evaluate the efficacy of acrylic external skeletal fixator
for the treatment of long bone fracture in goats.
The goats were selected irrespective of age, sex, breed and bodyweight. They
were subjected to clinical examination and radiography of affected limb for
confirmation of fracture of the bone. After confirming the fitness of the animal for
surgical correction, and obtaining the consent of owner all the goats were treated by
uniplanar bilateral external skeletal fixation using acrylic connecting bar and
centrally threaded transfixation pins under general anaesthesia. Clinical,
radiographic, haematological and serum biochemical evaluations were conducted
preoperatively, on the day of surgery, postoperatively on second, fourth, and eighth
week.
The body weight of animals ranged from 5 to 14 kg. Among the six animals
five (83.33 per cent) of them were female and one (16.7 per cent) was male.
Hindlimb of the goats was affected in all the cases with fracture of metatarsus.
Physiological and haematological parameters showed variations and they were
within the normal range throughout the observation period.
Postoperative radiograph of all the goats showed good alignment and
apposition between the fracture fragments and adequate implant stability throughout
the observation period. Postoperative radiograph of goat 3 showed a mild degree of
angulation on day of surgery. All the goats showed periosteal callus formation by
second postoperative week. Endosteal callus formation commenced by fourth
postoperative week in majority of cases whereas in goat 3 and 6 in which it started
by second postoperative week.
The serum calcium level on fourth postoperative week was elevated when
compared to preoperative day of surgery. However, serum calcium level on eighth
week was within the normal physiological limit. The serum phosphorus level was
elevated on the day of surgery and variations was noticed upto eighth postoperative
week. The serum alkaline phosphatase level was high at the time of presentation and
continued to increase significantly (P<0.01) on the day of surgery and second
postoperative week. Thereafter it decreased significantly (P<0.01) on fourth and
eighth postoperative week and within normal physiological range.
All the animals had good functional outcome and normal weight bearing on
all the limbs. The animals regained weight bearing on eighth postoperative week. In
all the cases implant was removed by eighth week except for goat 3 where the
implant was removed by fourth postoperative week when early usage of the limb was
observed. Mild pin tract drainage, angular deformity and mild degree of osteolysis
were the complications noticed during the study.
The results of the study revealed that use of uniplanar bilateral external
skeletal fixator using acrylic connecting bar provided excellent implant stability
during the period of fracture healing. Use of centrally threaded pins could achieve
pin - bone interface stability with no pin loosening. Acrylic external skeletal fixator
was proved to be an economical, technically feasible and reliable alternative over
stainless steel external fixator for treatment of long bone fracture in small ruminants.
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