Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Femur fracture repair in 7-day-old calf with pins and wires
By St-Jean, G et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1992·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Repair of a proximal diaphyseal femoral fracture in a calf, using intramedullary pinning, cerclage wiring, and external fixation.
- Species:
- cattle
Plain-English summary
A 7-day-old calf was brought in with a broken leg due to a complex fracture in the thigh bone. The veterinarian repaired the fracture using a combination of techniques, including an intramedullary pin to stabilize the bone, cerclage wires to hold fragments together, and an external fixator for extra support. After 45 days, X-rays showed that the fracture was healing well, and the fixator was taken off. Eight months later, the calf was walking normally again.
People also search for: calf broken leg treatment · calf femur fracture repair · calf leg surgery recovery
Abstract
Repair of a comminuted, spiral oblique, proximal diaphyseal femoral fracture in a 7-day-old calf was achieved by use of an intramedullary pin, cerclage wires, and external fixator. Six stainless steel wires were used for full cerclage to secure a long butterfly fragment and multiple incomplete and complete nondisplaced fragments to the femur in order to create 2 principal fragments. Axial alignment and resistance to bending was provided by a round, double-pointed, end-threaded intramedullary pin (6.35 mm in diameter), which was inserted in a retrograde fashion. A type-1, double-connecting-bar external fixator, using 4 round pins (4.8 mm in diameter), was used to provide supplemental stabilization against shear and torsional forces. At 45 days after surgery, healing at the fracture site was seen on radiography of the limb, and the external fixator was removed. Eight months after surgery, the calf had a normal gait.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1624351/