Max’s Fracture Repair
Max is a 9-month old, 52 pound MN German Shepard mix who suffered a
mid-shaft left femur fracture. We chose to repair the fracture with the combination of an intramedullary pin and reconstruction plate, the technique referred to as a “plate-rod construct.” An intramedullary pin was first placed to allow for fracture alignment and to restore and maintain the original length of the bone. The smaller fragments were reduced with 2 full cerclage wires and an interfragmentary screw.
Once all the fragments were in place the femur was buttressed with a 3.5mm reconstruction plate and 9 screws from the greater trochanter to the lateral femoral condyle. The goal of internal fracture fixation is to align, appose and stabilize bone fragments using fixation methods that will neutralize the forces (axial compression, axial tension, torsion and bending) acting on the bone until it is heals. In order to properly contour the plate the entire length of the femur, a reconstruction plate was selected. These plates are weaker than dynamic compression plates. The addition of the intramedullary pin increases the bending life of the plate 10-fold.
Less than two weeks after his Plate Rod Construct orthopedic surgery, Max was able to walk happily down the hallway, tail wagging, as you see in the video above.
A Letter Ariel’s Thankful Pet-Parents
We recently received this beautiful letter from a very happy client.
“To: Dr. Philippe Coudrai, VMD, MS, CCRT
You operated on our house cat “Ari” a few years ago. You removed his 2 ball joints that were “congenially weak” and had broken. I want to tell you, you are a genius. This cat is running and jumping as through nothing ever happened! He is happy and active, and we will forever be grateful for your expertise. Thank you.
Stan & Joanne
p.s. He also lost a lot of weight due to his increased activity and a diet. He is about 16 lbs now.”
Ariel had two femoral head osteotomies (2013 and 2014), one on each side. He recovered after surgery in rehabilitation at Winslow Animal Hospital. Linda Franzini, CVT, CCRP provided laser therapy, trigger point release, massage, and range of motion manual therapy to assure Ariel would have full range of motion & proper mobility.
Ariel’s orthopedic surgery at Winslow Animal Hospital had a tremendous impact on his quality of life. Here is a cat who was struggling with joint problems from the time he was a kitten. Two and a half years ago, Dr. Philippe Coudrai performed the procedure to remove Ari’s fragile ball joints. Rather than continuously having pain and mobility problems, he is enjoying being a young adult cat! Even after all this time, his Pet-Parents have been impressed by the success of the procedure and offered this kind letter to Dr. Coudrai.
