Rod-through-plate fixator in the treatment of long bone fractures of small animals

Garri Tralman

The primary objective of present research was to compare the efficiency of a novel bone fixator for treatment of tibial fractures in sheep and to compare to bone plating and to describe the surgical technique used in experimental animals.
Rod-through-plate fixator (RTP fixator) combines intramedullary and extramedullary osteosynthesis. It is composed of a pair of curved intramedullary rods, a connecting extramedullary plate, two cortical screws and two fixation screws. Connecting plate is relatively short and curved rods lengthen the intramedullary shoulder of the fixator up towards the metaphyses. Screws are connecting rods to the plates and the fixator to the bone. 
Experimental osteotomies were performed in the middle third of the left tibia in all animals. Animals were divided into two groups: in one group (four animals) rod-through-plate fixator was applied, and in the other group (three animals) bone plating was used. The duration of the experiments was 10 weeks during which fracture union was followed by radiography. The healing process was assessed by blood serum markers reflecting bone turnover and by histological and immunohistochemical investigations. 
More radiographic evidence of callus formation was seen in the RTP fixator group. No statistically significant differences in histological, immunohistochemical or serum biomarker values were noted between the experimental groups 
We conclude that RTP fixation is efficient for the treatment of experimental osteotomies of long bones in sheep.
The fixator was used also in six clinical cases for the diaphyseal middle third fracture treatment in dogs.