Treatment of long bone fractures with titanium elastic nail (TEN) in dogs

In this study it was aimed to evaluate the treatment of long bone fractures in dogs by using titanium elastic nail (TEN), guided by fracture healing and clinical outcome. For this puspose four dogs with five long bone fractures which were referred to Surgery Clinics of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. After the induction of anaesthesia with diazepam and propofol, the dogs were intubated and general anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. After routine preparation for aseptic surgery, animals were positioned in lateral recumbency to expose the medial surface of the fractured bone. TEN was performed either retrograde or anterograde and the nail was moved forward to the fracture line. The reduction was carried out either indirectly by traction or directly through a minimal skin incision through the fracture line. Then TEN was moved foward to the metaphysis of the other fragment. Bandage was applied for ten days and cefazolin (22 mg/kg/day) was administered intramuscularly for 7 days postoperatively. Fracture healing was monitored by scoring "weight bearing", "walking-weight bearing", "radiographic healing" and "pain measurement" in postoperative days 0 (the moment the patient recovered from anesthesia), 10, 20, 20 and 40. There was no infection at the operation site in all the cases. In the postoperative 40th day of the cases, it was found that the clinical improvement was completed with secondary bone healing on the 40th day except the number one case. As a result, TEN technique was considered to be an alternative to rigid intramedullary nailing osteosynthesis methods in the treatment of long bone fractures of dogs. Key words: Dog, Fracture, Long bone, Titanium elastic nail