A fracture is any break in bone or cartilage, either complete or incomplete. With any fracture there is also damage to the surrounding soft tissues.
Fractures can be repaired externally or internally.
- External repairs involve placing pins through the skin and bone that protrude on both sides of the leg. The pins are then connected with rods.
- Internal repair involve the placement of a metal rod through the center of the bone fragments and wires tied around the bone to stabilize the repaired fracture.
Metal bone screws or plates can also be used to bring the fracture edges together to help immobilize and repair the fracture.
The way the fracture is fixed depends on the age of the pet, type and severity of the fracture, location of the fracture and financial concerns of the pets owner.
