Surgery
Planning Considerations:
- vital signs are normal, the surgical repair can proceed
- open reduction through a lateral approach will result
in optimal exposure
Preparation & Anesthesia:
- pre-anesthetics (acepromazine and atropine)
- anesthesia (isoflurane)
- prep and surgery (see example movie)
Operation:
- skin incision: craniolateral femoral region
- fascia lata incision cranial to biceps femoris m.
- retraction of vastus lateralis m. cranially
- retraction of biceps femoris m. caudally
- fracture reduction and clamp
- bone plate placement (stacking plates used)
- 3 screws proximal and 3 screws distal to fracture
- lag screw fragment ends through bone plates
- suture fascia lata
- subcutaneous and skin closure
- Skin incision closed with suture
Post-op Radiographs:
- cranial & lateral views
Post-op Patient Care:
- confined to cage for 48 hours
- limited leash walk for 2 weeks, followed by
restricted exercise - sutures removed at 10-14 days
Follow-up:
- eight week follow-up exam: normal with full range of motion
- eight week radiographs: good callus formation
- prognosis excellent for full recovery
(click to view surgical video)
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