Comparison between Double Intramedullary Pinning and Veterinary Cuttable Plating Techniques in Repairing Induced Diaphyseal Femoral Fracture in Cats

Background: Diaphyseal fracture of the femur is one of the most common affections in cats. It has been treated using bone plating and intramedullary pinning (IMP) techniques. Veterinary cuttable plating (VCP) was highly recommended for most fractures, but it is not always applicable due to its expensive specific instruments and required surgical skills. Double IMP is believed to be a suitable technique for treating cat femoral fractures. Aim: This study aimed to compare the two techniques in treating induced femoral fractures in cats in terms of their efficacy, practicality and potential complications. Methods: Eleven healthy mature local cats were used. They were randomly divided into two groups; group A, double IMP treated (7 cats), and group B, VCP treated (4 cats). All cats were clinically, physically, and radiographically examined and prepared for surgery. Fracture of the right femur in each cat was induced using an ultrasonic oscillating saw. Internal fixation of femoral fractures in the group A was conducted using double IMP technique while in the group B was performed by VCP technique. Ability of weight bearing, grade of lameness and radiographic assessment were reported after operation. Results: Post-operative clinical examination of the cats showed no abnormality. Five cats in the group A and all cats in the group B were able to bear their complete weight on the operated limb on the 2nd day post-surgery. Grade of lameness was significantly higher in the group A in the first 15 days. However, on days 30 and 60, cats showed no more lameness in both groups except two cats in the group A. These two cases suffered from other complications due to their uncontrollable behavior. Other than these two cases, evidence of complete bone healing was seen in the 8th week post-operation in the group A but in the 12th week in the group B. Conclusion: Using double IMP technique in repairing femoral fractures in cats offered practical and reliable results, with less recovery time.