The Fracture Challenge: What To Do and When

As fracture repair has progressed in small animals over the past fifty years the concept of carpenter vs. gardener has driven many of the current strategies. The introduction of bone plating, its evolution into locking plate technology and the more recent focus on minimally invasive fracture repair techniques has allowed veterinary orthopedists to seek more rapid healing with less morbidity. The availability of intra-operative imaging and the development of fluoroscopic protocols has further improved the accuracy of surgical repairs but has increased the complexity of the surgical theatre and the investment that is required to follow the MIPO trend. The pros and cons of the different approaches will be discussed and considered.