Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Healing infected foreleg and lower leg bone fractures in dogs
By Cappellari, F et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2014·Fulvio Cappellari, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Treatment of antebrachial and crural septic nonunion fractures in dogs using circular external skeletal fixation: a retrospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with infected fractures in their front or back legs were treated using a special device called circular external skeletal fixation (CESF). Out of 23 dogs, 20 healed successfully, while 3 required amputation due to complications. Most of the dogs that healed had either minor or major issues during recovery, but overall, the treatment was considered effective, with many dogs showing excellent to good outcomes. This method appears to be a viable option for managing severe nonunion fractures in dogs.
People also search for: dog leg fracture treatment · circular external skeletal fixation for dogs · dog amputation recovery · infected dog fracture care
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of treatment of antebrachial and crural septic non-union fractures in dogs using circular external skeletal fixation (CESF), and to document the type and frequency of complications associated with this technique. METHODS: The medical records of all dogs with infected antebrachial and crural non-union fractures treated using the methods of Ilizarov at the Department of Animal Pathology of the University of Turin between 2006 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Only dogs in which radiographic and clinical assessment were available at the time of CESF removal were included in the study. RESULTS: Twenty-three dogs met the inclusion criteria. Twenty nonunion fractures treated with CESF healed and three did not. The latter three cases underwent amputation of the affected limb. In the 20 dogs that achieved bone union, six had minor complications and five had major complications. The mid-term outcome was judged to be excellent (n = 11), good (n = 6), fair (n = 2), or poor (n = 4). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the use of CESF for the management of antebrachial and crural septic nonunion fractures in dogs. Union was achieved in the majority of dogs and the complication rate was acceptable, considering the severity of the nonunion fractures that were managed in this fashion.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24999089/