Advanced Fracture Repair

Price includes pre- and post-operative radiographs, epidural (hind limb), and follow-up radiographs at 4 and 8 weeks. 

At Advanced Veterinary Care we offer a variety of options to try to give your pet the best chance of healing correctly, quickly, and cost-effectively. Regardless of the treatment the patient receives, keeping the patient quiet and reserved for a minimum of 6 weeks is recommended. Dr. Britton Bradberry tailors a post-operative plan for each patient to ensure the best chances of successful healing. If your pet is in need of fracture repair, remember the “advanced” in our name!

Fractures are not something that can be anticipated, and rarely can they wait weeks to be repaired. Due to Dr. Bradberry’s extensive inventory of different sizes and types of plates, pins, and his collection of advanced and necessary bone tools, he is equipped to deal with almost any fracture at any time, from 3 lb Chihuahuas to 150 lb Rottweilers. 

Fracture Repair

Splinting/Casting

Although splinting and casting have their place in veterinary medicine, some fractures require a more advanced surgical approach. Casting can be applied successfully with an oblique fracture in a distal limb. Casting or splinting is never recommended in a femur or humerus fracture, because the joints above and below the fracture are not able to be stabilized, which is required for proper healing.

Pins and wires

Intramedullary pins and wires are used commonly in veterinary medicine with decent success. A pin is placed in the bone to serve as an internal splint, and wires hold the fracture together. Appropriately sized pins are needed when using this technique. Pins that are too small lead to not enough stabilization and ultimately failure to heal. Too large of a pin may stabilize the fracture, but can interfere with blood supply and ultimately lead to failure to heal. 

Plates

Most fractures can be healed using orthopedic plates. These allow for great stabilization without interfering with blood supply. For transverse fractures they are a must. Most commonly these type of “impact” fractures are seen when small breeds or “spindly” boned dogs land hard after jumping from some height, causing a break. Advanced Veterinary Care is one of the few veterinary hospitals in southern New Mexico to safely and reliably perform this type of advanced fracture repair. 

External Fixators

For severe or comminuted fractures, a plate can sometimes be used. In cases where it is not advised, a unique procedure is done using a variety of screws or fixator pins with an external splint device to allow the bone to heal. Because of the severity of these fractures and the degree of difficulty these surgeries entail, these fixation methods tend to have higher rates of complication and failure.