Summary
A trend toward minimally invasive procedures in the treatment of fractures in human
patients is apparent in recent publications. Percutaneous plating is one method of
fracture fixation, conceived to minimise soft tissue damage and preserve soft tissue
and bone vascularity. The use of fewer screws, in longer bridging plates, is also
a relatively new technique in the stabilisation of comminuted diaphyseal fractures
in human patients. A combination of these techniques was applied in two dogs with
comminuted tibial fractures.
The plates were passed subfascially and the screws inserted through skin incisions
over the proximal and distal ends of the plate. Follow-up radiographs revealed fracture
healing with callus formation after four or five weeks. Percutaneous plating seems
to be a useful technique in small animals. Further studies on larger numbers of patients
are needed to define the benefits and the limitations of this technique.
Keywords
Biological fracture fixation - percutaneous plating - dog