Ciencia y tecnología veterinaria

Management of Compound Fracture of the Radius and Ulna Using Pop and Splints in a Nigerian Indigenous Breed of Dog

Abstract

Hope Philip Mana, Aliyu Haruna and Ali Mutah Abba

Background: This particular case illustrate the possibility of managing a compound fracture using POP and splints in a dog. Conventionally, management of such fractures requires the use of either intramedullary pin or bone plates as internal fixatives or Illizarov apparatus, Octopod and Taylor spatial frame as external fixatives. Due to the expensive nature of using such fixatives, some clients sometimes have no option than either to take back their pets unattended to or abandon their pets in the hospital for someone else to adopt and manage the underlying condition. As a result, we improvised this particular technique which is affordable to low income clients and less traumatic to the dog, with less hospital stay.

Presentation of case: A case of compound fracture of both radius and ulnar which occurs from trauma as a result rodent’s trap was presented to the small animal unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Maiduguri with the chief complaint of trauma and severe bleeding which was haphazardly managed before presentation. It was then referred to the Surgery and Radiology unit of the hospital, where it was managed using external fixatives consisting of Plaster of Paris and splints around the unaffected area, where the affected area was sutured and treated as open wound until it healed.

Discussion: Fracture repair progression involves some complex cascades of events at cellular level right from the inflammatory stage to the hard callus stage. Furthermore, management of compound fractures requires the use of internal and, or external fixatives which are relatively expensive to some dog owners, hence the need to improvise less expensive procedure that will aid the repair process without any obstruction. In this case, the fractured bones were closely managed post operatively for six (6) weeks. The Plaster of Paris and the splints used in this procedure were removed and the dog was able to bear weight on the affected limb with ease. The dog was discharged home, twelve weeks after, there was no any sign of wound dehiscence, mal union or non-union, hence the fracture healed completely.