Estabilização de fraturas femorais e umerais de cães e gatos mediante pino intramedular e fixação paracortical com polimetilmetacrilato

Abstract

Humeral and femoral fractures are frequent in the clinical routine of dogs and cats, and various methods of stabilization of the same, with their advantages and disadvantages are proposed in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate a new technique for stabilization of femoral and humeral fractures through use of intramedullary pin and paracortical fixing with polymethylmethacrylate. We used 12 animals affected by fractures of humerus or femur, six cats and six dogs, weighing ranging between 2.3 and 15.0 kg (median of 7.3 kg), aged between four months and eight years, the various races, where three of them had fracture of the humerus and the others had femoral fracture, all diagnosed by clinical and radiographic examination (in two projections). All patients were submitted to the stabilization of fractures with the use of intramedullary pin and paracortical fixing with polymethylmethacrylate. The bone healing was evaluated through monitoring radiographic 30, 60 and 90 days after the procedure, and by the measurement of serum marker of bone activity, alkalinephosphatase (AP), on day zero (day of the surgery) and after seven, 15 , 30, 60 and 90 days of surgery. It was observed immediately after the deployment of the technique (trans-operative period), that the method effectively neutralized the forces of rotation, bending, shear and axial displacement, providing degrees of alignment and affixing adequate, but over time the stability not required remained, generating in some animals, delayed bone union, interfering directly in functional recovery of the member. Moreover were observed phenomena of the wound dehiscence, loss of integrity of the implants and osteomyelitis. The reference values for the AP was below found in the literature and compared with the graduate of healing there was no significant difference. The animal species was decisive in association with the functional evolution of the State and bone union, as in cats, showed better results. This approach to stabilization of humeral and femoral fractures in dogs and cats is applicable only to transverse fracturesor slightly oblique and can be considered inefficient, compared to the number of imperfections, observed during the research.